Of Sketch Pads and Shadows
by Shadow's Interceptor
Summary: A family long thought lost is brought back together by a sheer chance of fate...and the ruin of the world. A story about Relm and Shadow and the situations that will define their relationship and will ultimately determine their fate.
1. He didn't bite her?

_And so begins the start of my Shadow and Relm stories. This first one is not terribly interesting, it is just what happens when we first meet Relm in the game. But it had to be done. If I am going to accurately represent the relationship between Shadow and Relm as it ends up to be in my other fic __Interceptor's Duty__ then I must put in ALL of the situations that would be important, including those in the game. _

_Dialogue is taken directly from the game, except for a few lines I added at the end for effect. I love theatrical license. _

_I do not own Final Fantasy VI, if I did Shadow and Leo would be alive and there would be a PS3 remake already out. I also do not make money from this fanfic. If you paid for it, I'm sorry to say that you have been duped._

This was NOT what he had been hired for. Shadow drifted away from his companions, over to the far side of the room trying his best to look distant and unconcerned. And succeeding wonderfully. He reached down to scratch Interceptor between the ears, tuning out the old man's prattle in favor of his own thoughts, which at this point mostly consisted of how soon could they leave. Old memories of this place and its people spun around inside his head, threatening to break his concentration, but he kept them at bay by plotting the quickest route out of this town, back to the boat.

His precious concentration was broken when a door on the other side of the room, the one that lead to a stairwell, opened up.

"Grandpa, who're they? Are they friends? Can they use magic too?" the little girl said happily. Had anyone bothered to glance at Shadow, they would have seen his eyes widen in shock at the sight of the girl. She was tiny and thin for her age, ten Shadow knew, but seemed to be in perfect health. Her short red-blond hair fell messily over her face and she had a smear of paint on one cheek. She bounced over and inspected Locke and Terra, peering up into their faces with an appraising look, almost like she was sizing up an item at the Jidoor auction house before bidding.

"Sh-shush!" the old man frantically tried to quiet her. Jumping away as the old man grabbed at her, she happened to glance into the shadows that one assassin was trying so desperately to disappear into.

Her eyes lit up, "What a cute doggie!" Behind his mask, Shadow's lips twitched. Interceptor, cute? He was sure she wouldn't think so if she had seen the black dog tear the throats out of the monsters outside town. But of course she hadn't, and now she was coming closer, reaching her hand out for Interceptor to sniff.

"Back off. He bites," he said in a last ditch effort to stop the girl from coming near. But Interceptor did not bite. Instead he sniffed the offered hand and wagged his tail as a tiny hand scratched him under his chin.

Three pairs of eyes stared at the assassin in shock. Terra and Locke because they had never seen anyone besides Shadow touch Interceptor without being bitten and the old man, Strago, because he had not realized that the assassin was there. Shadow stared back indifferently.

Snapping out of his surprise induced trance, Strago yelled at the girl, "Go back to your room!"

The girl looked up from petting Interceptor. "Why do I have to go to my room? You never let me have any fun," she pouted. _Stubborn_, Shadow thought, _I knew it._

"Because I said so! Now shoo!" Strago retaliated. By the tired look on his face, Shadow could tell disputes like this were common.

". . . Fine," she sighed. She patted Interceptor on the head before starting to trudge across the room. And darnit if that dog didn't follow her! When she realized she had a companion, the girl giggled happily and darted up the stairs, Interceptor at her heels. Shadow could feel Locke and Terra's incredulous stares. _So what if my dog takes a liking to someone else_, he mentally snarled at them.

"Oh dear . . . Seems to have taken a liking to your dog," Strago sighed. The girl must have heard him, because an audible, "Hmph," came from above them.

"That child . . ." Strago shook his head, "my apologies."

"It's fine," Shadow said softly, "he usually doesn't like other people though . . ." _Yes_, thought Shadow as he looked up the stairs, _he usually would rip their hand off for doing what that girl did._

Strago and the others must have talked for a while longer, but Shadow tuned it out again. Instead he listened to what was going on above his head. The little girl was talking to Interceptor, showing him around her room. She showed him her paints and her brushes, and told him that once she mixed some black paint she would paint his picture, because he was such a handsome dog. Talking to him like she would a human, she asked him if he wanted to play a game. Shadow couldn't help smiling a little when Interceptor woofed in response. He heard her say, 'Okay fetch it is,' and then the telltale thump of a ball being thrown against the wall. Claws scrabbled on wood floor boards and Shadow assumed that Interceptor had retrieved the ball, because it thumped against the wall a second later.

"Thanks for your time," Locke told Strago as he and Terra headed for the door.

"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!" Strago replied, a relieved grin plastered on his face.

_Of course you are, liar_, Shadow thought. Seeing his companions finally leaving, he turned to go as well.

"Interceptor!" he snapped. A moment later the big dog was at his side, panting happily. The little girl ran down the stairs, despite a cry of dismay from Strago, and over to them. She wrapped her arms around Interceptor in a tight hug, then scratched him once more under the chin.

"Bye-bye," she said sadly. Stepping back, she looked up into Shadow's eyes. And smiled at him.

"Can you bring Interceptor by again some time?" she said hopefully.

"Relm!" Strago yelled.

Shadow just stared at her. Stared at her for longer than he should have. She met his stare, looking right at the gap in his mask that showed his yellow green eyes and blue dyed skin, looking at him with her pretty hazel eyes. Pretty hazel eyes that showed not even a trace of fear.

"Relm!" Strago yelled again.

This snapped Shadow out of his trance. He ripped his eyes away from the little girl and stalked after the swiftly retreating Locke and Terra. Interceptor hesitated at first, but at the snap of his boss's fingers he ran to take his place beside the fleeing assassin.

_You like? You hate? You think it is just like all the other Shadow and Relm fics out there? Review please! The next chapter will be when Shadow saves the party in the burning building._


	2. I'm not going anywhere near that fire

The n_ext installment of my Relm and Shadow series. Another in game situation, this time the burning house. All the dialogue except for a few lines at the end is from the game. I swear, it's not that I'm uncreative, I just think that to remain true to the game one needs to use game dialogue for in-game situations. _

_I do not own FFVI, if I did Shadow and Leo would be alive and there would be a remake with tons of new information on Shadow's past in it. I also make no money from this fanfic, if you have paid for it, I pity you._

Interceptor's cold nose wormed its way under the blankets to Shadow's hand. He whined, first softly, then louder and louder. Taking his boss's hand in his mouth, he bit down gently. The hand was yanked out of his grip and a tired, "No," came from under the sheets.

Shadow's thoughts came slowly through a drowsy fog. _What the heck Interceptor, you know how to let yourself out_. Why did his head feel so fuzzy? Oh yes, the sleeping pills. He had taken a few of them before settling down for the night, hoping that the artificially induced unconsciousness wouldn't harbor the nightmares. On that account he had been correct, but he had forgotten the terrible time he always had returning to the awareness afterwards. Digging his head a little deeper into the pillow, he steadfastly ignored Interceptor's increasingly urgent whines.

A sudden pounding sound assaulted his ears. There was a crash, and a frantic voice sounded through his haze.

"You've gotta help!" _Was that Strago?_ "Relm . . . she's . . .!" _Was he dreaming?_

"Something happened to Relm?" _Terra? Yes, that was her._

"Yes! She was on fire...and then it caught the neighbor's house on fire...and... Oh, I can't even think straight anymore, but...!" _Now he knew this was a dream, the old man was spouting nonsense. _

"You have to help her!" _Now why would I want to do that. I have no attachment to her. And certainly none to you._

He heard what sounded like the creaking of bedsprings and boots pounding towards the door.

"Shadow!" _Leave me alone dream thief._ Silence. It seemed like the dream had stopped. Strange dream, normally if he did dream, it was nightmares. Must have been the sleeping pills. He reached his hand down to scratch Interceptor's head. His hand met only air. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he looked over the side of the bed.

"Interceptor . . . where did you go!?" He glanced at the other beds. Empty. Stupid pills. Fighting the fuzzy feeling in his skull, he got up, laced up his boots, and stuck his head out the door.

The sight of the raging inferno that had been a house earlier that day did wonders for clearing his head. He could hear the flames roaring and the foundations creaking dangerously all the way from the inn! A group of townsfolk were gathered in front of the house, with Strago, Terra, and Locke not surprisingly in the middle. But where was Interceptor?

Strago stepped forward, out of the crowd. Shadow saw him fling his arms outward, casting a bright light towards the flames. More and more people joined him, until the entire town was casting those bright lights and chanting "Flames BEGONE!" He assumed they were casting spells, not they had any affect whatsoever on the blaze. Sticking to what darkness was left, Shadow crept closer. Maybe Interceptor was behind someone in the crowd.

He heard Strago yelling, "It's no use! The fire's too strong!" _And what made you think that genius, the fact that your spells haven't done anything?_ Pulling himself up onto the roof of another house, he scanned the crowd for a familiar black canine. He smirked when Strago rushed into the burning building, followed by Locke and Terra. _Fools. _No way was he stupid enough to get anywhere near that fire.

Interceptor wasn't in the crowd, Shadow established. Grumbling about needing to re-train his mutt, Shadow pursed his lips and let out an ear piercing whistle. The townspeople started at the unexpected noise and peered into the darkness curiously, but did not catch sight of the black-clad assassin. Shadow wasn't paying any attention to them. All he could focus on was the barking response to his call, coming from inside the rapidly burning house.

_Great time to remember, Interceptor_. Shadow started to run. At the edge of the rooftop he leapt, landing nimbly in the branches of the tree in the center of town. Swinging himself to the highest branch, he leapt again, over the heads of the oblivious towns people and landed on a burning beam. Moving quickly to keep the flames from scorching his clothing too badly, he ran along the beam drawing his blades as he went. The barking was getting louder, more frantic. _Where are you dog?_ He heard yells, human yells, from above. Looking up, he noticed the fire seemed to be burning much brighter through one of the upper windows. _Of course they would be in the attic_. He snarled behind his mask. Tucking his blades back in their sheaths, he sprang upwards, grabbing the windowsill where the flames seemed the brightest. Boosting himself up quickly, he used his shoulder to smash the glass as he rolled in. He hit the floor in a fighter's crouch and scanned the area.

A pack of fire demons separated Shadow from the other occupants of the room. Half of them turned his way; the others stayed intent on their targets on the other side of the room. Interceptor was the only one standing. He straddled the young girl protectively, snarling and barking for all he was worth. Whenever a demon came close, he would mock charge it snarling and snapping, but because of the heat had to turn away before actually completing the attack. The others were all down, but breathing, as far as Shadow could tell. _Pity_.

When he saw Shadow, Interceptor stopped barking. They looked at each other for a moment. Nodding once, Shadow gave Interceptor a signal. The great black dog let loose with a short, commanding howl. The demons all turned, momentarily distracted by their foe's new sound. But a moment was all Shadow needed. A blade in each hand, he wove through the pack, dealing each and every one a fatal blow as he ran. Not bothering to check on his enemies, he knew he had killed them all, Shadow knelt down beside his dog. The animal wagged his tail gratefully, then nosed the unconscious girl on the floor.

"Time to get out of here!" Shadow said to his canine partner.

Mindful of the creaking and groaning of the house around them, Shadow pulled out a Teleport Gem. Rushing over to the older three, he grabbed Locke's arms and positioned them so that the left was touching Strago and the right was touching Terra. Dragging Interceptor away from the girl, he gave the 'Sit, Stay' command and placed Terra's free hand on the dog's back. The groaning of the house got louder. Feeling the floor shake under his feet, Shadow swore. No time, no darn time! Sprinting to where Relm lay, he scooped her limp body up in his arms. In one leap he covered the distance to Interceptor's side. Crashing to the floor, Shadow leaned his hip on Interceptor's shoulder and shouted the words that activated the gem. With a popping sound, they disappeared, seconds before the house gave a final shudder and collapsed.

Shadow found himself standing in the grass behind the inn, his hip on Interceptor's shoulder and Relm still cradled in his arms. Placing her on the ground, he glanced over at the other three. They were still unconscious, but would recover quickly. The girl though . . . her breathing was shallow and ragged, and her skin was much too pale, even with the heat blisters. _Smoke inhalation._ It made sense she was worse than the others, she had been in the building for twice as long.

Not quite aware of what he was doing, Shadow pulled a potion out of his pocket and tugged out the stopper with his teeth. Crouching down beside her, Shadow tilted Relm's head back and poured some of the vile tasting liquid into her mouth. Hoping she would swallow it instinctively, he waited. To his surprise, she spluttered and actually sat up. She stared at him, looked around, then returned her eyes to his.

"Wha-"she started to say.

He shoved the vial into her hands, "Drink the rest of this."

"Why?"

Standing up abruptly, he began to walk towards the crazily milling townspeople, "It's a potion. Drink it and sleep."

Although she would have never normally followed orders without a fight, something in Shadow's tone made her listen. Grimacing, she downed the rest of the potion. A cold nose touched the back of her neck prompting her to turn around and meet Interceptor's relieved gaze. She threw her arms around his neck.

"You saved me didn't you! What a good dog!" Interceptor's tail thumped on the ground. Relm looked over her shoulder at the assassin who was now speaking with the mayor.

"And he saved you. And me," she caught sight of Strago and the other two lying nearby, "And Grandpa. And those other people." Stifling a yawn, she snuggled closer to the big black dog. She really was tired. And the man with the mask did tell her to sleep. She'd be able to thank him later.

The girl was asleep when the townspeople got to them. Babbling thanks to the strange man who had saved Relm and the others, the mayor leaned down to pick up the girl while the rest of the town woke up Strago, Locke, and Terra. Interceptor's ragged snarl stopped him in his tracks. Stepping back quickly, the mayor looked down at the furious canine, unwilling to risk losing a hand. He looked at the strange masked man, "Ah, does your dog bite?"

Rather than answer, Shadow strode over and untangled Relm's arms from around Interceptor's neck. Lifting her up, he headed in the direction of the home she and Strago shared. The mayor followed, keeping his distance from Interceptor, babbling even more thanks to the silent man.

The next morning Shadow found himself once again in the drawing room of Strago's home. Gravitating towards the same corner as before, he hoped and prayed that Relm was still sleeping off the effects of last night's adventure. Tragically, it was not to be. The little red head must have been eavesdropping on their conversation, because as soon as Strago mentioned coming with them, _oh gods no_, she popped out from the behind the door.

"I wanna go too!" To Shadow's chagrin, Interceptor trotted over to her and, of all things, rolled on his back asking for a belly rub! _Since when did you become a house pet_! Shadow yelled silently.

"I think not, young lady!" Strago snapped.

"Fuddy-duddy. . ." Relm grumbled. Ever grateful for his mask, Shadow allowed himself an amused smile. What a perfect word for the old man. Relm rubbed Interceptor's belly, then retreated to her room. Odd. She gave in much too easily. Plans were forming behind those hazel eyes, and Shadow was sure the old 'fuddy-duddy' would not be happy when those plans came to fruition.

With a snap of his fingers he called Interceptor to his side. The old man had said something about the espers they were looking for being in the mountains to the west. Now that he had a destination, he could leave. On his way to the door, he felt three sets of eyes staring at him. Turning around, he said, "Don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted my dog back."

"You're leaving?" Locke asked in disbelief. _No thief, I was going out to get a quart of milk_.

"I'll search for the espers my own way," noticing that Interceptor had moved away from him, closer to the door leading to the stairwell, he snapped his fingers again, "Interceptor!" The dog put his ears back sadly, but followed anyway. _Good riddance, _Shadow thought walked away from the house.

"Hey! Hey you!" he heard a shrill voice yell behind him. Spinning around, he followed the sound of voice and beheld Relm poking her head out a window on the second floor.

"What's your name?"

Before he knew what he was doing, his mouth formed a word and growled it out, "Shadow."

She cocked her head curiously. "That's a funny name," she said finally. Snorting, Shadow turned around and continued on his way.

"Thank you Shadow!" she yelled after him.

Shaking his head, he muttered softly into the fabric of his mask, "You're welcome girl."

_Aye-ah! This was a lot longer than I thought it would be! You like? You hate? You bored? You have ideas for other stories? Please review._

_Clarification- I think that to use Teleport Stones to transport multiple people, the people need to be in physical contact. Hence Shadow fussing around in the house with the unconscious bodies._


	3. And your talent is?

_I have to give a huge thank you to __**Skykhanhunter**__ for being the first person to review this fic! Shadow is a legend and deserves to be recognized as such. And to be honest, I enjoyed any part of the game Shadow was in, except when he died (which I swear he did not!!!). _

_So, how did Relm make it through a monster infested forest, plain, and cave without getting killed??? Because we all know how unbelievably weak she is when you first get her and she knows no magic. _

_I do not own FFVI, if I did Shadow and Leo would be alive and there would be sweet PS3 remake out there. I also receive no money from this fanfic. If you have paid for it, well . . . _

Shadow stifled **another** yawn. Glaring down at his partner he muttered, "See what you've done Interceptor."

Interceptor looked up and wagged his tail.

"Don't act all happy, if you had just let me sleep we'd be back to the empire with gold to spend by now." Interceptor woofed. He knew his boss was lying. Shadow knew it too. If Interceptor had let him sleep, Shadow would be on his way back to the empire alone and on the lookout for the most suicidal assignments he could find.

When yet another yawn threatened to burst from his mouth, Shadow halted. This was ridiculous; he couldn't perform to the best of his ability when he was falling asleep on his feet! And in his line of work, if you didn't perform to the best of your ability, you died. Spying a tree with thick, wide branches, he jumped up, landing on such a branch. Interceptor trotted over to the base of the tree and looked up questioningly.

"I'm going to rest for a while," Shadow explained. He gave Interceptor the 'stay, guard' signal, before settling down with his back against the trunk. A quick rest and he would be good to go.

************

Relm skipped through the forest whistling happily. No way was she going to miss out on an adventure! How could Strago even think of leaving her behind? Didn't he know that great artists need inspiration? And how was she supposed to have any inspiration if she stayed at home while he went off and had adventures? Too dangerous, he said, it would be too dangerous for her. Ha! Wouldn't she show him!

"Nothing's too dangerous for me!" she said triumphantly, "Monsters, bah, who's afraid of little ol' monsters? I'll just paint their portrait and they'll go running!"

"Woof?"

She squeaked at the unexpected sound and jumped behind a tree. Peeking her head out slowly, she noticed a big black dog staring at her. The dog woofed again and thumped its tail on the ground.

A shadow detached itself from the tree behind the dog and leapt down. "What is it Interceptor?" the shadow asked. Following the dog's stare, Shadow finally noticed the little girl watching him from behind an old oak. He groaned inwardly. Why? Why did the gods insist on torturing him so?

When Shadow made no move to reprimand her, Relm walked over to him with a cocky swagger.

"Didn't I do a good job sneaking up on you?" Shadow glared, _Only because I was asleep and my dog doesn't see you as a threat._

But what he said was, "That was your intent?"

"Well . . . noooooo. But I did it anyway!"

Shadow stared at her. He blinked. She blinked. He narrowed his eyes into a glare, hoping to scare her a little, to make her think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be following an assassin around in the woods. She narrowed her eyes back at him. So much for that plan. As an experiment, he shut and opened his right eye. She winked in return. That cheeky little -!

He turned and left without a word, striding through the forest towards the plains that came before the western mountains. _That's rude_, Relm thought as she sprinted after him. How could such a nice dog like Interceptor have such a rude man for a master? _Well I guess people don't have to be polite to be nice_, she thought back to last night when Shadow had given her the potion. And saved her life. Saving someone's life was definitely something a nice person would do.

Relm's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she ran headlong into something black and solid. Shadow had stopped. Pushing the girl away, Shadow growled, "Don't follow me."

"Why not?" Relm said indignantly, "If you're looking for those esper things, they you're going in the same direction as my Grandpa and the others. And since I want to get to them, then I'm going the same way you are. So there's no reason why I shouldn't follow you!"

Since there was nothing he could say to repute that, Shadow turned around and began walking again. Relm gleefully followed.

"Why aren't you looking for the espers with your friends?"

"They're not my friends," he growled.

"Oh," but she was undeterred, "why are you looking for the espers anyway?"

"I was hired to."

"So, you're like a detective or something? You find things for people?"

Shadow almost smiled, "I'm an assassin." Maybe **that** would make her go away.

"That makes more sense, I didn't think a detective would have so many weapons," she replied. There was no fear in her voice; Shadow may as well have revealed that he was a plumber!

Shadow almost let out a strangled groan. Almost. Was there nothing he could say that could get the girl to go away? Or at least be quiet.

"So why are you looking for the espers alone?"

_Because I didn't want to be around you or the old man_. "I didn't like the way Locke and Terra were going about it."

They had reached the plains and Relm was still thinking up questions. Shadow alternately cursed the gods and prayed that **something** would make the girl run back to the village and stay there!

Interceptor interrupted his quasi-religious mental ramblings with a sharp snarl. Over a crest in the plain, two Don were heading towards them. Drawing one of his blades, Shadow gave Interceptor the 'wait' signal. Relm had noticed the monsters too, she stepped back a few paces.

"I didn't think they were that big!" she said.

Shadow snorted. Don were around twice the height of a normal dog, their huge width made them look much bigger. Nowhere near as large as half the monsters he had fought. The Don split up, one coming at them from the left while the other circled to the right. Not good; the monsters were operating as a hunting pack. With a flick of his wrist, he signaled Interceptor to attack the Don on the right. With his lips drawn back in a silent snarl, Interceptor threw himself at the charging monster.

Trusting his partner to keep the first Don distracted, Shadow sprinted towards the one that had circled to the left. The monster had not expected its prey to fight back and flinched away at Shadow's approach. On his rush past, Shadow angled his blade to cut through the shoulder muscles of the monster, crippling it. With a howl it stumbled and crashed to the ground. Spinning on the balls of his feet, Shadow pivoted to face the downed creature's back, pulling out a throwing knife as he did so. He flung the knife, burying it up to the hilt right below the Don's skull. The monster was dead before it felt any pain from the blow.

Retrieving his knife, Shadow looked to where Interceptor was fighting. His eyes widened and he swore. There were now **two **of the large bulldog like creatures. But as he watched, one of the Don swiped at the other, knocking it off balance. Interceptor latched onto the throat of the off balance monster, his powerful jaws making quick work of the creature's jugular. Shocked, Shadow watched as the Don that remained standing disappeared.

Leaving his fallen enemy, Interceptor returned to Shadow's side. Relm scrambled after him.

"Whoah, did you see that!" she yelled, "That was intense!"

"Where did the third one go?" Shadow growled. The last thing he needed was a teleporting monster popping up unnoticed.

"Oh, I don't know. The always disappear after a little while," Relm replied nonchalantly, "But it was really good, I got it to attack the other monster and everything!"

Shadow just stared at her. What the heck was she talking about? Seeing Shadow's confused stare, Relm slapped herself on the forehead.

"Of course! You don't know what I can do!" she struck a grand pose, "I drew that monster. The one that disappeared."

His stare turned into a glare.

"You don't believe me," she pouted, "Fine, I'll prove it to you." Taking her paintbrush, she drew a figure in the air. The figure solidified and Shadow found himself staring at a mirror image of . . . himself. The image Shadow drew its sword and rushed him. Real Shadow dodged away, taking a kuni and slashing the image Shadow's side as is passed him. The image disappeared, just as the Don had.

Relm looked at him with a triumphant grin on her face.

"That's quite a talent," Shadow admitted.

"Why, thank you," she said smugly.

"Don't do it again."

"Hmph!"

They continued on across the plains until they reached the foot of the western mountains. Shadow traveled quickly, deciding that the best (if not only) way to get rid of the girl was to find the others and pawn her off on them. He located their trail leading into a cave.

"Come on," he growled to Relm. The trail was fresh, with any luck he could catch them in less than an hour.

Relm was quiet for the first time since she had joined the assassin. She knew that her grandfather and the others were close, and since her whole goal **was** to surprise them . . . The prospect of surprising her grandfather was making her excited, she jumped around a bit and even darted ahead of Shadow and Interceptor for short spurts. It was on one of those expeditions ahead when she ran into a room and saw a flash of red and heard a familiar voice. Her eyes widened and she rushed back, smashing into Shadow once again.

He glared at her. "What?"

"Grandpa and the others are in the next room!" she whispered happily. Shadow sighed, finally his torture was over!

"I'm going to go surprise them! Heh, heh, they'll never believe I made it this far!" But as she turned around to enter the room, Shadow grabbed her shoulder. She spun back to look at him.

"I was never here," he said seriously, staring into her eyes, "You never saw me." This was fine with her, if Grandpa and the others thought she came all the way out to the cave by herself they would be even more impressed!

"You got it!" she grinned. Shadow nodded.

"Interceptor!" The dog at his side, Shadow left, disappearing into the gloom of the cave in seconds. Relm was slightly shocked by his sudden departure.

"Shadow? Interceptor?" she called softly. Oh well, they couldn't have gone far. "Bye then, come back to Thamasa sometime!" Then to herself she said, "Now to go give that old geezer a heart attack!"

Shadow watched from the darkness as she entered the other room. He waited until he heard voices, the old man and the others exclaiming things and Relm talking back to them before leaving. She would be fine now. Not that he cared.

_What do you think? Was that believable? How do you think I did at keeping Shadow and Relm in character? Criticism is appreciated. _


	4. Leave me alone

_Of course, a huge thank you to __**Matei-san**__ for the very nice review. I agree, Shadow did not die. I'll never accept that opinion. EVER!!!!!!!!!!! _

_Another in game scene, this time it's the bit before and on the floating continent. I think this is going to be a long one . . . More in-game dialogue. I've actually found that I really like writing around in-game dialogue. It's fun to add my own spin to it!_

_I do not own FFVI if I did Shadow and Leo would be alive and there would be a sequel! I also do not make any money from this fanfic. If you have paid for it, consider yourself as having been royally ----._

The sun shone through the leaves, casting an otherworldly light over the assembled party. One, whose green hair had nothing to do with the filtered sunlight, stepped forward and placed a bundle of flowers on fresh mound of dirt. Tears poured down her face as she spoke softly to the one who lay beneath her. Relm only made out one word, "Leo." The rest were lost in tears and whispers.

Clenching her fists, Relm glared at the clear beautiful sky. Shouldn't there be some sort of natural law against this? Shouldn't the sky be mourning with them, not being all shiny and bright like nothing was wrong, like someone hadn't been cruelly murdered in front of them, like dozens of innocent souls hadn't been killed so that some power mad freak could use their power! She had only known General Leo for a few hours, but those few hours were enough to let her know that is shouldn't have been him that died. But it had. If she closed her eyes, Relm could still see that demented over make-uped lunatic slamming the dagger into the General's back, over and over, long after the light had gone out of his eyes and his heart stopped pumping. They all could.

A soft whine came from the path behind them. Turning around, the group beheld a large black and brown dog, limping towards them. The dog hobbled over to Relm, pushing his head into her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his dark, blood crusted fur.

". . . Interceptor!" Locke finally broke the silence, "That's a nasty wound!" He was referring to a deep gash on Interceptor's left foreleg, right where the brown fur transitioned to black. Leaning down slowly, he took off his bandana and wrapped it around the still oozing cut.

"Not only Leo, but Shadow too . . . Curse the Empire!" he hissed. Relm hugged the big dog tighter. Why did that crazy clown guy and whacko emperor get to live while nice people like General Leo and Shadow got killed?

"That'll have to do for now buddy," Locke patted Interceptor gingerly before getting up.

"You're so sweet," Celes whispered to Locke when he rose. Locke shrugged.

Relm ignored them, too focused on the brown muzzle burying into her stomach. Interceptor whined again. "Don't worry," Relm said gently, "you're friend Relm will take care of you." She heard Strago mumble something under his breath. _And there's nothing you can do about it old man!_

"Now I'm worried about Edgar and the others back in the Empire . . ." Locke said to no one in particular.

"I hope they're alright . . ." Terra said, glancing towards the west, towards Vector.

A couple of days later, a strange whirring sound filled the air. Upon hearing it, Locke, Celes, and Terra had rushed out of Strago's house and stood in the town square staring up at the sky like idiots. Relm, with Interceptor close behind, had followed them out and was about to comment on how much they looked like dumb turkeys when the thing making the noise came into sight. It was big, noisy, had one hell of an ugly paint job, and was currently landing just outside Thamasa.

A pale man with long silver hair and a trench-coat as ugly as the flying cigar's paint job was the first one into town.

"We've been had!" he yelled, "The emperor is a liar! It was all a trap." He was followed by a tall man with a fancy black moustache and a long samurai sword strapped to his back.

"Thanks to King Edgar, we managed to escape before the trap was sprung," the man said in an odd, accented voice. Relm took a closer look at the device on his shield, crossed swords over a simple wolf's head design, the traditional symbol of the Doman royal guard. A young man with shaggy unkempt hair wearing what looked like animals skins followed the Doman warily. And behind him came two blondes, one wearing fine robes and carrying a bag that clanked as he walked, the other wearing nothing but a pair of pants, looking like a much larger version of the first blonde.

While Relm had been examining them, the conversation had turned. They were going off to do something, (she hoped it was to kill the crazy clown guy) and Strago had just said he wanted to come. And they had agreed! Well, if they'd let the old man come along without a fight, certainly they'd let her.

"I wanna go too!"

Strago glared at her, "I think not young lady!"

The big blonde chuckled and puffed out his chest, making himself seem even larger than before, if that was even possible, "We can't have kids getting in our way!" A low growl started in Interceptor's throat.

How dare he! Interceptor had the right idea growling at him! "Who do you think you are trying to tell me what to do you over-fed muscle man!?" she yelled at him. She was pleased to hear scattered chuckles from some of the others.

The big blonde stared dumbly at her, "Kid's got quite a lip."

"Grr . . .!" now what could she do to, oh yes, "I'm gonna paint your picture!" Heh heh, big doofus wouldn't even see it coming.

"N-no, Relm! Stop!" Strago, Terra, and Locke all cried out. Sighing, Relm put away her paintbrush. The big blonde just looked at them, scratching his head in confusion. She'd have to paint his picture some other time.

Grumbling, Strago said, "Oh alright already! Not like you stay at home when you're told anyway . . ." Relm yelled happily and gave Interceptor a quick hug. No way was she going to miss out on another adventure!

Putting her head close to Interceptor's she whispered something for her and his ears only, "I'll have this adventure for Shadow. I'll get those suckers back for what they did boy, I swear it!"

"Stupid octopus," Relm groaned, "stupid octopus and his stupid friend." She picked herself up off the ground and brushed some of the dirt from her shirt. Around her, Strago, Sabin, Edgar, and Cyan were also suffering the effects of their impromptu exit off the deck of the Blackjack. Interceptor nuzzled her hand; he was none the worse for wear. When Relm and the others had fallen from the airship's deck, Interceptor had jumped after them. Going over to the others, Relm cast a quick Cure spell. Man how she loved magic! She loved it almost as much as painting!

The whirring sound of the Blackjack came closer and they could almost see Setzer waving at them from the wheel. "Call him over," Strago said, then turned to Relm, "You're going to wait on the airship."

"WHAT!!!!" she screamed, "I just go through all that trouble to heal you and you're sending me back to the ship like a little kid! I'm coming too!"

"No you are not young lady, and that's final! This is too dangerous for you!" he yelled back.

"Oh yes," she sneered, "Just like following you when you went to look for the espers was too dangerous. If I hadn't shown up when I did you would all have been octopus chow!"

"Gah! This is different . . . Cyan, back me up here!"

"I . . . do see thy grandfather's point," Cyan said slowly. Relm turned her attention to the dour Doman warrior, insulting his motives, homeland, parents, and speculating as to the nature of some of his favorite pastimes. Sabin chuckled appreciatively before walking a little ways away. As amusing as he found this, he did not want to be there when Strago asked **him** to act as back up. Jumping on top of a rock formation, he scanned the area. It was curious, being able to look over the edge of the continent like this. _If anyone wanted to commit suicide, this would be the place to do it_, he thought. The continent itself was barren and forbidding, no plants, no streams, just rocks, rocks, and oh yes, more than a couple of nasty looking monsters wandering around.

His brother climbed up to join him. "Wonderful place isn't it Sabin?" Edgar remarked, "What do you think about building a summer home?"

Sabin chuckled again, "Don't know, a bit far from Figaro isn't it? Don't you think the Chancellor would have a hemorrhage?" It was Edgar's turn to laugh now. A flicker of movement distracted the two brothers from their merriment. Something below them, a shadow where there shouldn't have been a shadow, moved. They stared at it curiously.

"I'm gonna go check it out," Sabin told his brother before jumping down the cliff face.

"Wait, Sabin!" Edgar called after him. But by that time Sabin was halfway down and didn't hear him. Landing on his feet, he moved slowly closer to the black mound.

"Filthy double crossing Empire . . . Tried to off me the second I had served my purpose," the mound mumbled in an all too familiar voice.

"Shadow!" Sabin said happily, throwing away all attempts to stay unnoticed, "We thought you were dead!" Shadow lifted his head to stare at Sabin with one eye; the other was swollen over and crusted shut with blood. Why was he here? And who else was with him? That weirdo monk attracted companions like honey attracted flies, there was no way he would be alone.

"Is Interceptor alright?" Shadow asked. He wasn't sure that the monk would know anything, but it was worth a shot.

To his surprise, Sabin replied, "He's fine. Come on, let's go!" _Good, _Shadow thought, _Interceptor made it out okay._

"Leave me here."

Sabin shook his head, "Sorry, that's not happening." Shadow felt a strong pair of hands on his shoulders and he was suddenly lifted off the ground. Had he the energy, Sabin would have been laying on the ground with a broken neck for his pains, but as it was, Shadow allowed himself to be set down on his feet. For lack of anything better to do, he followed Sabin around the cliff face.

Interceptor interrupted Relm's tirade with a booming bark. He sprinted away, leaving Relm, Strago, and Cyan staring after him. They heard Sabin yell, and then a loud grunt, like someone had just gotten the wind knocked out of him. Interceptor gave a triumphant howl.

Shadow knew what was coming when he heard that earth shaking bark, but, let's face it, there isn't much a person can do to prepare for being hit in the chest with one hundred plus pounds of ecstatic mutt. He toppled over and landed flat on his back, Interceptor perched on his chest. After a howl, the black dog set to the important task of licking what little of Shadow's face showed through his mask.

"I missed you too boy," he groaned, sitting up and pushing Interceptor off of him. He stood up, and using the cleanest bit of fabric on the arm his body suit, wiped the dog slobber out of his eyes. He glared at Sabin, whose shoulders were shaking suspiciously. _Laugh, come on, I dare you_. A laugh did come, but surprisingly it wasn't from Sabin. Edgar landed on the ground next to his brother, grinning and snickering.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Shadow," he said. Shadow snorted. With any luck this was it, there wouldn't be any more from their rag tag group coming to gawk over his ability to survive and offer false words as to how nice it was to see him again.

"SHADOW!" someone screamed from behind him. That was it. The gods officially hated him. He turned around just in time to see a small brightly clothed form sprint around the corner, attempt to stop, fail miserably, and crash into him. He grabbed the girl's shoulders to keep her upright.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. He made a non-committal sound and stepped away from her. Strago and Cyan rounded the corner as well.

"You!?" _No, I'm Kefka in disguise._

"Shadow, thou art alive!" _Really genius, I thought I was a zombie_.

Edgar smiled happily, "Well, now that we're all here, let's go kick some sense into the Emporor!"

"Not all of us," Strago interjected, "Relm –"

Relm's eyes suddenly lit up, "Why don't we vote to see if I can stay!"

"Wha-"

"Okay then! Everyone who wants me to come, stand over here with me, everyone who wants me to go back to the airship, stand with the old fuddy-duddy." Cyan stayed where he was, next to Strago. Without even seeming to think about it, Sabin went to stand by Relm. He trusted her ability to fight and, more importantly, she honestly scared him sometimes. Edgar looked at Relm apprehensively, but joined Strago and Cyan.

Shadow stayed in the center. He wanted them ALL to go back to the airship, not just Relm. Then he could do things his own way, without distractions. But he had to choose, hazel eyes on one side and brown eyes surrounded by wrinkles on the other demanded it.

"Hurry up, we don't have all day, assassin!" Strago said sharply. That made up Shadow's mind for him. He walked over to Relm, Interceptor following. Relm pumped her fist in the air.

"Ha! I win!"

"No you don't," Strago squawked, "it's a tie."

"No it's not! I got three votes!"

"I see two people standing by me and two people standing by you, how could you have gotten –"

"Interceptor has a vote," Shadow interrupted. The rest of the group turned to look at him. "He fights as much as any of us, he has a vote too." Strago opened his mouth to argue, but shut it almost immediately. In his seventy years he had learned it was best not to oppose someone who glared at you with that kind of intensity. After seeing Shadow's expression, the rest of the group decided against arguing as well and shuffled off to do something that seemed useful.

"Thanks Shadow!" Relm squeaked happily. Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a quick hug. His back stiffened with a jerk and he almost ran away right then and there. She released him and looked up into his startled eyes.

"Now let's go kick the crazy right outta those loonies!" She ran after the others, leaving him and Interceptor alone.

Thump, thump, thump. Interceptor's tail pounded on the ground. He looked up at Shadow with a very un-aggressive un-Interceptor-like look.

"What're you looking at dog," Shadow grumbled. Interceptor woofed, then got up and trotted after Relm. _So this is what the great Shadow is reduced to_, he thought as he started after the group, _following dogs and little girls. _

When Shadow caught up to the group, he almost wished he had stayed behind. Strago and Edgar were arguing about which path to take. Strago swore he could feel magic coming from the high path, Edgar insisted that the low path would get them to the same place, only quicker, and Sabin had joined in saying that he thought it would be easiest just to cut across the rocks rather than follow a path. None of the men were willing to give in, and as the argument got more heated, their voices got louder and louder. Relm screwed up her face and clamped her hands over her ears. Shadow was seriously considering shoving a dagger into someone's back, just to lessen the noise when an unexpected voice silenced them all.

"All of ye, STOP!" Cyan yelled. The three men shut their mouths, more out of surprise than anything. Now that he had their attention, Cyan spoke in his normal tone of voice. Turning to Shadow, he asked, "Canst thy dog track the Emperor and his companion?" Shadow nodded. "Good, then we shall follow whichever path thy dog leads us upon."

Nodding again, Shadow knelt down to Interceptor's level. When he had the dog's attention, he formed his hand into the 'Seek' signal. Interceptor looked at him expectantly.

"Seek Gesthal," he said slowly, "Gesthal." Interceptor's forehead wrinkled as he tried to remember smells associated with the word Gesthal. When he found them, he barked, then put his nose to the ground. In a few minutes, he had picked up a trail and trotted towards the high path.

Strago elbowed Edgar in the ribs, "I told you." Edgar would have responded, but Cyan directed a swift glare at them, effectively cutting off any form of retort. Silence. Blissful, beautiful silence. Shadow gave a small, contented sigh and started up the high path after Interceptor. The silence would only last so long and he was thoroughly planning on enjoying it.

With his long strides, Cyan caught up with the assassin easily. He put a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. When Shadow turned to look at him, he said with a smile, "We really are glad to see thee again, friend Shadow. It distressed all of us greatly when thy dog came back without thee."

There was no trace of a lie in the Doman's voice, nor was there one in his eyes. Was it even possible for that honor-bound throwback to lie? _Doesn't matter. He may have been 'distressed' for whatever reason, but that doesn't mean the others actually were. That screw-ball could see honor and nobility in __**rocks**__._ But Shadow kept these thoughts to himself. Instead he nodded once more. Cyan smiled and removed his hand, but did not fall back to walk with the others, preferring to keep pace with Shadow and avoid whatever petty argument which was certain to be brewing behind them.

Apparently someone else had the same idea.

"Hi guys!" Relm chirped as she came up on Shadow's other side.

Cyan flashed a bright smile at the little girl, "Good day to thee Relm." Shadow walked on, choosing to ignore what he had dubbed the third most irritating thing on the face of the planet, coming shortly after people who didn't pay him and the old man who had just now started another argument with the king of Figaro.

"So what happened to you Shadow?"

Shadow gritted his teeth.

"Was it really that bad? Why did Interceptor get away, but you didn't? Were you planning on hunting down those two crazies even before we showed up?"

Deciding that the fastest way to get her to stop asking questions was to answer them, Shadow began quickly, "Rather than pay me the Empire tried to kill me. I'm walking and can fight, so no it wasn't that bad. I sent Interceptor ahead when I thought I couldn't get away. And I was going to get paid, even if I had to hunt down the Emperor and take my payment from his dismembered corpse." Cyan widened his eyes at the last answer, thinking it not appropriate to say to a child of a mere ten years. But Relm was unfazed.

"Well I'm glad you're not hurt that bad. I'm going to go see Interceptor." With that she ran up to walk beside the dark canine.

"She enjoys thy company," Cyan remarked. Shadow snorted.

"I wish she would just leave me alone."

_Eep! That was long! And it's not even all of the floating continent part . . . I always liked Cyan, I figure that when he isn't depressed and brooding he would be a really good leader. And I always thought that if Shadow were to form a close friendship with anyone in the group it would be with Cyan or Sabin. Review? Please? How am I doing for keeping people in character? What do people think of Shadow as a sarcastic cynic? Do people even read the italics? I don't know, I do, am I just weird?_

_Next time I think I'll try the battle with Ultima (I will try to make it epic and interesting), and, of course, a favorite for all Shadow lovers, Shadow's golden moment! You know what I'm talking about. And if you don't, I suggest you go out and buy a copy of FFVI and play it so you will learn what I'm talking about._


	5. It's all the Emperor's fault!

_Hullo again. Thanks again to __**Matei-san**__ for another nice review. Relm rocks! _

_Okay, okay, I know in the last chapter I said that this would be the last floating continent scene. But I was wrong. This is the battle with the Ultima Weapon, the next chapter will be Shadow's golden moment. Sorry!_

_I do not own FFVI, if I did Shadow and Leo would be alive and Mog would have gotten blown up (I don't like Mog). I also make no money from this fanfic. So please don't sue me!_

"**My name is Ultima . . ."** _What the hell?_ Shadow and the others gaped at the creature blocking the stairway. The stairway leading to the warring triad.

"**I am a power both ancient and unrivaled . . ." **_How is this even possible?_ It was huge, twice the size of even the largest dragons they had fought on the Floating Continent. Its body resembled that of a mutated dog, muscles upon muscles, covered by sickly pale grey flesh. The long powerful tail lashed, striking a cliff and turning it to dust.

"**I do not bleed, for I am but strength given form . . ."** _That may pose some difficulties_. Mechanical things were attached to its upper body and head, giving the creature an even more grotesque appearance. Blue fire spewed from its maw as it spoke, wrapping around the creature's face, bathing it in a strange ugly light.

"**Feeble creatures of flesh . . . Your time is nigh!"** The beast reared up and roared, sending a jet of flame towards the still stunned party.

"Scatter!" Cyan bellowed. Following the experienced warrior's command, the group split up, scrambling to get out of the range of the flames. Unconventional as always, Sabin fled towards the beast, smashing his fists repeatedly against one of its hind legs. Ultima's forelegs returned to earth and it kicked Sabin away, sending him crashing against the stairs. True to the beast's word, it shed no blood, despite Sabin's furious assault with his claws.

Turning to finish off the stunned monk, the beast was suddenly blinded. Strago and Relm had cast Thundara simultaneously, directing their magic towards the beast's head. In its moment of confusion, Edgar was able to rush to his brother's aide. When its sight returned, the beast directed another jet of flame at the two mages.

Strago and Relm found themselves sprawled on the ground, a menacing shadow above them. They watched as the flames rushed towards the shadow, then suddenly reversed course rebounding off an invisible barrier to hit the beast instead.

Something small clattered on the ground in front of them. "Use that," Shadow growled before leaping away. Stunned, Strago picked up the Reflect Ring that Shadow had dropped. Grabbing Relm's hand, he slipped it on her middle finger. She looked at him curiously.

"I know some defensive spells. You don't," he said as an explanation. They helped each other up and began casting another spell.

Sabin and Edgar had only one intention – cripple the monster. In a joint effort the attacked the hind leg Sabin had originally damaged, Edgar hacking with his chainsaw and Sabin continuing to hammer it with his fists. They danced around the creature's swipes, moving away quickly, but always coming back to the one leg. Flesh hung in ribbons, tendons were severed, muscles were destroyed, but the monster moved as if nothing had happened.

"The joint!" Edgar panted, "Try to break the joint!"

Shadow watched the brother's dance with death from the sidelines. A fine effort, but utterly useless in the long run. That creature could feel no pain, Shadow believed nothing but a mortal blow could damage it. He watched, waiting for his chance.

It came when the creature used its tail to smash the Firgaro brothers away. Strago and Relm had finished casting another spell, this time trapping one of the creature's legs in a block of ice. While the monster was distracted, Shadow struck. Darting from the shadows, Interceptor close behind, he ran right underneath the beast, dragging his blade across its belly. Interceptor jumped up and dove his jaws into the gash created by Shadow's blade, wreaking even more havoc on the monster's insides. The creature screamed. Calling Interceptor away, Shadow jumped for high ground. That thing wasn't finished yet. Not by a long shot.

Pitching his voice to be heard over the monster's scream, Shadow yelled, "It can only be hurt by mortal wounds!"

"Dost thou hear that!" Cyan roared to the others, "Choose thine strikes carefully!" Bellowing a Doman war-cry, he charged the beast head on, dodging between the flailing limbs to drive his sword into its chest.

The beast breathed a stream of fire at him, Cyan barely brought up his shield in time. He pulled the sword from the creature's chest and retreated a few steps, only to return hacking and slashing, calling out an old Doman war chant. His moustache smoked slightly due to the near brush with the creature's flames and in any other situation Relm would have found it hilarious. But as it was, she could barely keep her hands steady as she chanted the words to spells. She wouldn't have trusted herself to even touch her paintbrush right now, even if she managed to draw anything, it would come out wrong and most likely turn on them.

She saw a flash of silver and a long blade buried itself between the creature's ribs. _Shadow!_ The creature bellowed and called down Meteor to hit the place the blade had flown from. But the assassin and his canine were long gone, leaping over rubble, trying to find a suitable place to launch his next blade.

"Look out Shadow!" Relm yelled. The creature's tail was heading on a deadly course for the distracted assassin. At the last second Shadow looked up. Unable to do anything else, he jumped, catching hold of the tail and swinging himself onto it. He sprinted down it like he would run down a tree branch. A tree branch in the middle of a tornado. Reaching the creature's back, he hoisted himself up onto the mechanical part, hoping to find something that could be used to destroy it. _Why the hell isn't Edgar here_! he thought as he surveyed the vast amount of foreign technology.

Seemingly oblivious to the assassin clinging to its back, the creature finally succeeded in knocking Cyan back. It looked around. The mages were chanting another spell, and the two blond men were running back to join the fight. A star of red light formed in front of its forehead. The star grew and grew, then suddenly split off into six parts, each part striking one of the irritating humans who insisted on challenging it.

Heat. Unbearable, screaming, burning heat! Only Shadow's great self control kept him from screaming. Below him he heard tortured wails. Strago collapsed. Sabin and Edgar tried to find the words to a Blizzard spell, but the pain wouldn't let them concentrate. Cyan's shield, a shield made to absorb the power of fire, exploded in his face, showering the Doman in a rain of molten metal. And Relm . . . Relm was on the ground, not unconscious like her grandfather, but rolling and screaming in pain. The Reflect Ring was not meant to cope with attacks like this and her lack of armor left her totally open to the brunt of the creature's attack.

_No,_ was Shadow's one coherent thought, _no!_ Forcing himself to ignore the pain he stood up, clambering over the mechanics on the monster's shoulders until he reached the neck. Bracing himself, he drew his two best blades and stabbed them just behind the creature's skull. With a jerk of his arms, the blades crossed, severing the monster's spinal cord.

The creature disappeared, leaving Shadow standing on nothing. He hit the ground with a thud and just lay there. The active heat was gone, but the burns remained, and damnit they hurt! Puffs of warm air hit the blistered skin exposed by the mask, prompting him to open his eyes. Interceptor whined when he saw his boss's eye crack open. The dog had apparently not been targeted by the spell.

"Lucky mutt," Shadow grumbled. Using Interceptor's neck as a handle, Shadow pulled himself into a sitting position. They were all alive, even the old man. Sabin and Edgar, after casting quick cure spells on each other, had rushed to aide Cyan in removing the quickly cooling metal from his body. When metal was removed, pieces of charred skin or cloth always came with it, leaving Cyan looking like a bomb had exploded on his body. Shadow wasn't even sure how he could still be conscious.

A whimpering cry drew Shadow's attention. Relm had dragged herself over to Strago and was vainly trying to wake him up. Again with the help of Interceptor, Shadow stood up and staggered over to Relm. He dropped to his knees next to her.

"Come on old man," she whimpered, "Open your eyes! I can't heal you if you're unconscious, the healing won't take, you know that! Come on, wake up!" She shook his shoulders gently. The old man was breathing, but like everyone else he was covered in third degree burns as well as other injuries sustained during the fight.

Wordlessly, Shadow pushed past her, placing his hand on Strago's forehead. "Raise," he whispered harshly. A bright light formed around his hand, and when the hand was removed, the light stayed. Relm looked at him in awe, she knew he had been carrying the Bismark majicite, but she hadn't known he had been carrying it that long! The bright light receded and Strago opened his eyes. Relm wasted no time casting a Cure spell.

That one spell wore Relm out much more than it should have. She swayed, and her upper body would have fallen over had two black gloved hands not grasped her shoulders. Blackness started to creep into the edges of her vision and she vaguely heard Shadow say something.

"Cast a spell **now** old man, before she goes under!" he hissed. Strago hurriedly cast Cura. When the silver light faded, Relm was looking decidedly better.

"Grandpa!" she cried happily, loosing herself from Shadow's grip to throw herself at Strago, "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Strago embraced her fiercely, "And don't you ever do that to me again young lady! Now let me go so I can help Shadow."

"No need," Shadow growled. While they had been embracing, he had cast Cure on himself, healing the worst of his wounds.

"It's all the Emperor's fault," Relm spat, her previous fear turning into anger, "He's the reason we're up here! He's the reason that, that thing attacked us! If it wasn't for him, we'd all be fine, and you wouldn't have almost. . ." She buried her face in his cloak.

"Shush now, there, there," Strago said gently, trying to calm his now sobbing granddaughter. Shadow felt something tighten in his chest. Thoughts rolled about in his head, but with a shake, he banished them once more. He stood up slowly and walked away, leaving grandfather and granddaughter to comfort each other.

"Shadow!" Cyan called out. The Figaro brothers had done a good job with their healing magic, the Doman's skin looked almost normal. "Dost thou need another healing spell cast?"

Not giving Shadow time to answer, Sabin butted in, "I'd say that's a good idea, we don't know how hard the Emperor is gonna fight back when we find him."

Shadow looked at them with blank eyes. He turned his head ever so slightly, so that he could see Relm, still sobbing into Strago's cloak. Interceptor had joined them and was trying to gently lick the tears away.

In a flat voice he told them, "I don't deserve to fight by your side . . . not after I sold myself to the Empire."

Before they could react, he leapt away, disappearing into the shadows of the cliffs around them.

_I swear, I was planning on having the fight with the Ultima Weapon and Shadow's Golden Moment in the same chapter, but here seemed like such a good place to end it! You like? You hate? You bored? You think I should be shot because I took what was supposed to be an epic battle and butchered it with my crappy fight scene writing? Review please!_


	6. I have no right

_Can't . . . concentrate . . . plot ideas . . . for four different fanfics . . . mixing with plot for my original fiction . . . and ten page history paper . . . and analysis of Dracula . . . and impending Spanish essay . . . Must. Do. SOMETHING! _

_I don't own FFVI and make no money from this fanfic, but if anyone feels like suing me, I DARE YOU TO TRY! (twitches crazily due to plot idea/actual work overload)_

Shadow sped through the forbidding landscape of the Floating Continent, trying desperately to think of nothing at all.

_I wonder how long I would last in a fight against a dragon by myself? Using only my bare hands . . . _Now that was a thought worth thinking. Go out with a bang. And the best part was, no one would ever know how he disappeared so completely. Dragons ate what they killed. No evidence, no guilt, and if anyone did happen to see, they could go tell the world that the great Shadow met his end in the jaws of a dragon. Which sounded so much better than the great Shadow somehow fell off the edge of a flying landmass.

A massive CRACK jolted Shadow out of his thoughts. Stopping abruptly, he whipped around, just as another CRACK split the air. With the noise came a flash of light, almost like lightning, except it came from the plateau where the Warring Triad was supposed to be. His curiosity got the better of him and he started back. As he approached the plateau, he could hear muffled conversation. One final CRACK sounded.

Shadow quickly climbed a nearby rock formation that looked over the plateau. The first thing he noticed was the three statues, The Warring Triad. They literally pulsed with magic; he could see the streams of it emanating from each one, only to bounce off the others, creating a perfect triangle of magical energy. Well, not so perfect. Someone had pushed their way inside the triangle and was disrupting the flow of energy.

"Kefka," Shadow snarled to himself. And there, in front of the Triad, lay the crumpled form of what could only be Gesthal. As Shadow watched, Kefka emerged from the triangle of magic and kicked the prone body. Shadow heard a gasping breath and turned his head. On the other end of the plateau stood everyone he had left. And Celes. _Where had she come from?_ The gasp had come from Relm, who, although the muscles in her neck were straining, couldn't look away. Shadow realized that they were all frozen in place, magically paralyzed by some means, even Interceptor, who crouched by Relm with his hackles raised and a snarl frozen on his face.

The depraved man kicked the Emperor again, "Oh dear . . . I guess I was a bit hasty in calling you a useless old man before . . ." he said in his irritatingly high pitched voice. Drawing back his leg again, he snapped it forward, catching the Emperor on the collar bone and sending him sliding to the edge of the plateau. "NOW you're useless!" Kefka squealed happily.

_You worthless sadist! Kill clean or don't kill at all!_ Shadow practically roared in his head. With a nasty giggle, Kefka pranced over to one of the statues.

Shadow could just barely hear the Emperor groan, "The world is about to learn . . . the meaning . . . of fear."

Kefka giggled again and braced his shoulder against the statue.

"No! Kefka!" Celes screamed. He paused for a moment, only to send a blast of power at the paralyzed group. The previous spell was broken, but they were knocked back and were now sprawled out over the plateau. Celes had been shot so close to the edge that she was in danger of falling off the Continent altogether. Relm whimpered and tried to get up, but it hurt too much. She hated that man! She hated him and was terrified of him. He had killed General Leo, he had killed the espers, now he was going to kill them. Reaching out a shaking hand, she pressed it to Interceptor's head. Even if the dog was in the same predicament she was, just having him near made her feel better.

"Kefka...you mustn't!" Celes yelled again, "If you disturb the balance... their power will run wild...!" The clown heard it, Relm knew he did. He had grinned and winked at the slowly slipping magitech knight before returning to the statue and shoving it out of its perfect alignment. The ground beneath them started to shake and the magic that had previously flown between the three statues began to warp and twist. Still laughing gleefully, Kefka ran to another statue and pushed that one out of alignment as well. The shaking got worse and they could feel the raw power that was now radiating off the statues.

Shadow watched in disbelief as the depraved lunatic pushed the statues out of alignment. What the hell was he thinking?! Could anyone be truly that crazy . . . The others were struggling to get up, but the shaking was making it even harder. Shadow was having a difficult time keeping his balance and he hadn't been hit with a paralyzing spell followed by a power blast. Celes was just holding on to the edge of the Continent. Shadow's right hand gripped the rock face while his left gripped the handle of one of his blades.

_You can't do anything Shadow. _Of course not. He was only an assassin. But . . . the leap wasn't that far . . .

_Why should you even care? _A good question, he never much cared about anything that didn't directly relate to him. The world directly related to him, didn't it? And if the world were destroyed . . .

_What does it matter, more chaos means more jobs._ Unless he died.

_You wanted to get eaten by a dragon not half an hour ago._ Yes, but . . . There was them to think about.

_You mean there is Relm to think about. _Since when did the voice in his head argue with him so much! He shook his head, banishing all thoughts of the little artist.

_Enough of this! I hate indecision, so, damnit, Shadow decide!_

Kefka's head jerked as he finished moving the last statue, "Who's that?" Relm's head shot up, just as Shadow appeared out of nowhere, landing next to Celes. He grabbed the back of her cloak and hauled her up, tossing her towards the center of the plateau. Without missing a beat, he sprinted across the length of the area and slammed his shoulder into one of the statues, shoving the heavy stone back into place. Darting around the still stunned Kefka, he shoved his shoulder against another one, moving it towards its original position.

Coming out of his surprised induced trance, Kefka ran to the other side of the statue. Shoving himself against it with a loud "Oof!" he kept Shadow from returning it to alignment with the other statue. The magic started to pulse wildly, coming off the statues in larger and larger bursts. Shadow groaned and slammed his shoulder into the statue. It moved a little, but not nearly enough.

"Go!" he yelled. The others had finally managed to get up and seemed to be coming over to help. No! They had to get out!

"Forget about me! Run! There's no stopping this now!" he yelled over the howling unnatural wind. Relm started to rush forward, only to be grabbed by Strago and Sabin. She yelled something he didn't catch and he turned around to meet her gaze. The eyes were so sad, so . . . empty. He found himself yelling, "I'll find my way back! Trust me!" The eyes lit up just a bit, and she willingly followed when the others started to run. _Great, another promise I can't keep_.

"You can't escape me!" Kefka shrieked. Shadow shoved the statue hard, slamming it into Kefka's gut.

Relm stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to the main continent, "Shadow . . . Come on! We have to get out of here!" He ignored her, putting all of his concentration into pushing the statue with the lunatic behind it. Strago grabbed her arm and pulled her down the stairs.

"Come on Relm," he panted, "Shadow said he would find us!"

Shadow stole one glance at them, glad that the old man had finally been of use. Kefka caught the look, and laughed, "Mwaa-ha-ha . . .! You think I'm going to let you escape?"

Shadow suddenly jumped back, letting Kefka fall flat on his face as the statue moved away from him unexpectedly. Drawing his blades, Shadow advanced.

Scrambling up, Kefka screamed, "Fool, you cannot kill me!" He shot a blast of magic at the assassin, and Shadow dodged aside. Rushing forward, he raked his blade over Kefka's chest, swearing when it tangled in the thick robes. Kefka laughed and danced away, he wasn't even scratched.

"Getting slow are we?" he taunted, "I guess it was a good idea to get rid of you!" He may as well have been taunting a rock. Shadow charged again, only to have to leap aside when Kefka shot a fire spell his way.

"You should have just lain down and let the soldiers kill you," Kefka continued, "It would have been a mercy killing. You know, like when you have to kill a chocobo that can't work anymore." Shadow stared at him with expressionless eyes. Damn, those eyes were starting to get to Kefka. Did the man ever blink?!

A shrill voice yelled over the wind, "Shadow!" Said assassin's head turned in the direction of the voice, easily recognizable as Relm's. It came from somewhere near the edge of the continent. _Good, they got that far_.

Kefka caught the head turn. With an evil giggle he said in a falsely concerned voice, "Isn't she too young for you?"

Shadow snapped his head around and the expressionless stare morphed into an intense glare. Kefka grinned evilly, he had finally found a button to push.

"Where I come from, that's called ped-o-philia!" he sang out. Shadow charged without warning, but Kefka was ready with another fire spell. What he wasn't ready for was Shadow leaping _over_ the spell and continuing his charge. Now it was Kefka's turn to throw himself out of the way, leaving Shadow's blades slashing through air. Swiftly spinning around, Shadow threw his right blade at the lunatic. Kefka just barely managed to bring up a magical shield to protect himself. The blade shattered on impact with the barrier, causing Kefka to giggle madly. Shadow threw a shruiken, with the same result. Stalking closer to the manically laughing form under the shield, Shadow prodded the barrier gently with his remaining long blade. The resulting shock numbed the whole left side of his upper body. The blade, thankfully, stayed intact.

"Oh so close, yet so far," Kefka taunted. The assassin looked at him with eyes of pure, cold, fury. Kefka just giggled, then laughed even harder when a magical pulse from the statues almost knocked the assassin off his feet.

"They're protecting their new master, see!" Kefka turned to the Triad, "Now do what you did to the Emperor to him!"

Shadow did what any sane man would have done in that situation. He ran.

*********

Relm, Strago, Cyan, and Sabin were waiting on the edge of the Floating Continent. The Blackjack was just below them, Setzer was having a hell of a time keeping it in place _and_ avoiding debris that was coming off of the rapidly collapsing continent.

"Come on!" Edgar yelled from the deck, "Just throw the girl on and let's get out of here!" Sabin crossed his arms and shook his head. Shadow said he would come, so they were just going to have to wait.

Strago was frantically pleading with his granddaughter, "Relm, we have to go!"

"No!" she said stubbornly, "We gotta wait for Shadow." Strago would have grabbed Relm's hand and dragged her into a jump to the Blackjack with him, but Interceptor's threatening eyes stopped him from even coming close.

Setzer, fearing not only for his life, but for the well-being of his ship, decided to appeal to the one sane man above them, "Cyan, you're a smart man, do you actually think Shadow _planned_ on making it back? Just get everyone onto my ship!" The gambler was shocked when Cyan too shook his head.

"Shadow desired our trust. And our trust we shall give."

Scratch the one sane man thought. An unearthly roar sounded from nearby and Setzer could only watch in horror as a _dragon_ fell from the Floating Continent, missing the Blackjack by mere feet. Resisting the urge to sigh gratefully as the beast disappeared, Setzer instead screeched, "FINE! But next time a DRAGON almost falls on MY ship, I'm leaving ALL OF YOU up there, and you can just FIND YOUR OWN WAY DOWN!"

Relm stared back the way they had come. Shadow had to find them. He had promised. Didn't he? Suddenly Interceptor began to bark, a fierce, deep, but somehow happy sound. A dark blur sped over the rock formations, making one last leap to land in front of them.

"SHADOW!" Relm yelled. She would have gone to hug him, but the ground shook violently, catching her off balance and sending her to her knees. The others looked at him with a mix of curiosity, surprise, and relief.

He shrugged, "I'd never be able to rest in peace if I died without collecting my pay . . ."

The ground shook again and a great crack appeared under their feet. Sabin took his brother's advice and grabbed Relm, tossing her easily down to the Blackjack. He was about to do the same to Strago, but the old man leapt on his own, landing on the deck next to his granddaughter. The ground shook once more and suddenly the earth under their feet started to shift downward. The assassin, monk, samurai, and dog all jumped at once, their feet leaving the earth right as the ledge they were standing on plummeted down.

Their combined weight hitting the deck of the Blackjack caused the ship to list to the right, but with a twist of the wheel, Setzer straightened it out. Now the pulses of magical power could be felt from the Blackjack, and it seemed like they were getting stronger with each passing moment. Terra and the others who had remained behind had come up on the deck.

"There's no way to stop their magic?" Locke asked. Terra, Celes, and Strago shook their heads sadly.

The engines of the Blackjack started to roar.

"Hang on!" Setzer yelled. He gunned the engines, sending the Blackjack hurtling away from the rapidly disintegrating Continent. The speed of their flight caused Shadow to slip, and the wind pushed him up against the stern railing. With a start, he realized that Relm and Strago were in the same predicament as him. Interceptor crawled over and positioned himself between Shadow and Relm. Shadow put a hand on the dog's shoulder, he could feel the slightest trembling of muscles.

"I wish I were like Interceptor," Relm said quietly, "He's not afraid." Strago put a comforting hand on her arm.

"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of," Shadow said suddenly, "It shows that you have emotion to express." Taking her hand, he laid it on Interceptor's back so she could feel his trembling muscles.

Relm looked up at him, "He's as afraid as I am!" Shadow nodded. She cocked her head curiously, "Are you scared, Shadow?"

"No." He had not felt fear in a long time. The closest he had come was when he heard Interceptor's barks coming from the burning house in Thamasa. No, he had not felt fear, sorrow, joy, for a long time.

"Shadow," Strago said hesitantly, "Terra mentioned what you said to her. On the boat."

"It's true," he said simply. It was. He hadn't felt in so long. Nothing, nothing at all . . . except . . . He remembered the hot flash of pure rage that had shot through him in response to Kefka's taunts. And the sharp pang of anger that had blazed through his pain wracked body when he saw Relm lying on the ground writhing in agony because of Ultima's Heat Star.

_No!_ his mind screamed, _I have no right to feel, no right . . . not for her, never for her, never again . . . she is nothing, they are both NOTHING! _ By the end of his mental rant, he was not sure which _they_ or _she_ he meant.

Something hit the airship and it lurched to the side. Setzer madly tried to straighten it out, but another slab of continent hit the Blackjack, cracking her hull in two. A gust of the unnatural wind hit the two falling parts of the airship, jerking the stern so that Shadow was thrown off. Interceptor was thrown with him and Shadow grabbed the big dog in midair, clutching the shivering animal to his chest.

Above them, he saw the Blackjack's engines explode. The blaze from the stern caught the bow of the ship as well and both parts turned into identical fireballs.

He could see no one else falling with them.

_What do you think? I'm trying to keep Shadow in character, yet change him ever so slightly each chapter, how am I doing? Just some explanation, Kefka is sick, he would think sick thoughts. In any kind of situation where there is room open to interpretation, I always see Kefka's thoughts turning towards the sick option. That does not mean his assumptions are true! _

_Okay, this is the end of the World of Balance. I think I'll be taking a break to work on some of my original fiction (which I need to write for a class) before starting in the World of Ruin. WARNING- after the next couple WOR chapters I will be starting on situations that have no part in the game and will have come from the deep dark recesses of my mind. Some are meant to be funny. Some will have action. Some will leave you going "Why?" I don't think they will be this long. All I know is that they will have copious amounts of Shadow and Relm! I think they will be more like my chapter "And your Talent is?" If you think this is a bad idea to include such chapters in this fic, let me know with a review. I can keep this fic for plot related instances only and write another fic for my created stories. Anyway, review please!_


	7. Except for the dog

_Okay now, I can breathe a bit easier. Got most of my work done and I'm ready to rock and roll! Thank you to __**Matei-San**__ and __**Skykhanhunter**__ for the great reviews! _

_ More in game dialogue, but there is a little plot manipulation, not much but a little. _

_ I don't own FFVI, but if Square Enix is looking to sell the rights, I'd sure as heck be interested! I also make no money from this fanfic, if you paid for it then congratulations; you just spent money for absolutely no reason._

Gau pointed a finger at the cave happily, "See, see! Men say treasure in cave! We go find?" The cave on the Veldt looked dark and forbidding, just the sort of place a person would find all kinds of good stuff.

_Who the heck hides all this treasure in caves anyway?_ Relm wondered. She walked behind Cyan, who was looking even more depressed than he had back before Kefka destroyed the world, if that was even possible. It was still incredible to her that they had found her, after all this time, after all that had happened.

Relm remembered being thrown out of the Blackjack after the initial explosion. After that it was all blank, until she had woken up four days later in a cot on a small fishing vessel. The vessel had picked her out of the ocean three days earlier. The father and son who owned the ship were very kind, and when the seas calmed down enough for them to be able to make land, they had sailed her as close to Thamasa as they could. Relm figured that if anyone survived, it was possible that they might head there. But after two weeks of waiting (Relm was never a patient girl) she decided that it would be faster if she went out and looked for them.

After leaving Thamasa, Relm survived by selling her paintings and battling the occasional monster for gil. She managed to sneak aboard a ship heading west and eventually ended up in Jidoor. It didn't take long for an old rich man, Owser she thought his name was, to notice her talent and commission a painting from her. This was a year after the end of the world.

It had taken her months to finish the painting to the man's satisfaction. And _just_ as she was about to add the finishing touches, a stupid demon decided to possess the painting. The nerve of the thing! This was when Celes, Edgar, Sabin, Setzer, and Cyan found her, stubbornly trying to drive the demon out of her painting. With their aid, she got the demon out, not that she really needed their help; it just made things go a little faster (so she liked to believe). It had been a no brainer to travel with them after that. They didn't even argue when she brought it up, in fact, Sabin and Cyan practically insisted on it!

Now here they were, two weeks later, exploring the Veldt with another of their old friends. Gau had almost given the lot of them heart attacks when he popped up out of the grass yelling happily when he first saw them. From his garbled explanation, Relm took it that she wasn't the only one who had doubted meeting the others again.

"Sure looks like a place there'd be treasure. What do you say Celes, shall we take a look?" Edgar asked their leader by default.

Celes looked hard at the mouth of the cave, "Why not, we can always use some stronger weapons. The training will do us good too, if I'm not mistaken the monsters in here will be pretty rough."

Inside the cave they found another band of men, treasure hunters, had set up camp. They were nice enough, even offering to let them share the camp for a while. Celes politely refused, telling them of their intention to explore the cave. The men wished them luck, and confirmed Gau's story about there being treasures further ahead.

"If the monsters weren't so nasty we'da got the loot already," one of the men told them, "But if yer game to try, I'll wish ya luck!" Bidding the men farewell, the party advanced into the second chamber of the cave.

Relm found herself walking near Gau at the head of the group. Slowpoke grown-ups! They acted like there might be something to be afraid of. Ha! Didn't they know they were traveling with the one and only Relm Arrowny, greatest artist and greatest survivor the world had ever known! There was nothing she couldn't handle!

Gau's curious voice pulled Relm's attention back to the real world, "You hear that, Relm?" Relm stopped and listened. An odd scuffling noise came from one of the smaller holes in the cave wall.

"Sound like dog in there," Gau remarked. For the life of her, Relm couldn't figure out how someone could tell the difference between a dog scuffling and a small monster scuffling, but then again, this was the boy who'd been raised by beasts. Crouching down on his haunches, Gau peered into the hole and voiced a series of whimpers and yelps. The rest of the party had caught up and was looking at them curiously.

"Gau says there's a dog in there," Relm explained. A sharp woof from the hole affirmed Gau's statement. Suddenly a pair of eyes could be seen in the shadows of the hole. As the eyes got closer, they began to be able to make out the body they belonged to. The huge, black dog made his way into the relative light of the main cavern. He was skinny, covered in blood, and dragging an injured hind leg, but there was no mistaking him.

"Interceptor!" Relm yelled. Everyone else was too stunned to speak. Interceptor wagged his tail once, but instead of greeting Relm, limped back in the direction he had come. After a few yards, he turned, and barked. There was a sense of urgency in his actions.

"Are you trying to tell me to follow you?" Relm asked. Interceptor barked again and limped off into the darkness as fast as he could. Without a thought, Relm followed.

"Relm, get back here! That hole-"

"Is too small for us! We can't fit!"

"Interceptor say big monster ahead, Relm got to be careful!"

"A monster?! Relm, I beg thee to return, we shall find another path to thy dog's destination!"

"You know girl, if you get lost in here, I have no trouble flying on without you."

"Setzer be quiet! Relm, come back! What would your grandfather say?!"

But her friend's entreaties were in vain. Relm had already ventured beyond earshot. She followed Interceptor through the winding tunnel, occasionally hearing snaps of conversation from her friends, who must have been on a parallel path in the main cave. Interceptor moved as fast as his injured limb would allow, even so, Relm had to trot to keep up with him. They exited the small tunnel into another area of the main cave. Interceptor headed for a raised portion of the floor, dragging himself up a small incline. When Relm crested the incline, she saw Interceptor collapse beside what might have been a raised shadow.

That is, if shadows could breathe. _It can't be!_ Relm thought as she raced over the rocky ground. She dropped to her knees beside the barely breathing assassin.

"Shadow," she whispered, "Shadow . . ." The one person she was utterly convinced she would never see again. She had seen many of the others get flung out of the Blackjack and fall towards the sea with her, but Shadow had not been one of them. Utterly convinced that he had died in the explosion, she had cried for him, as she would have cried for any of the others if she believed them dead. Well, maybe a little more than if say, Setzer or Locke had died. Even though she had spent much less time with Shadow than most of the others, she really, really liked him.

The pool of blood under the assassin was spreading; Relm could already feel the sticky liquid soaking through the knees of her pants. Rolling the unconscious assassin onto his stomach, Relm got a better look at his injuries. She gasped when she saw the extent of the damage, "These wounds are awful . . ."

Shadow's entire back was laid wide open. The light armor he wore had been no match for whatever beast inflicted these wounds. Blood continued to flow rapidly out of the five deep slash marks crossing Shadow's shoulders and upper back. Relm hurriedly took off her cloak, bundling it up and pressing it to Shadow's back in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Her magic was not strong enough for her to even attempt to use it on these kinds of wounds. The only thing she could do, she reasoned, was try to stop the bleeding and wait for the others to arrive.

The sudden pressure on his back caused Shadow to open his eyes. Where was he? The cave, he was still in the cave. Why was he on his stomach, he remembered passing out on his back . . . Speaking of his back, what was pressing on it and aggravating the previously numb nerves? He turned his head slightly to the side, trying to ignore the screaming pain the movement caused. Someone dressed in yellows and greens was leaning over him, putting pressure on his wounds.

He tried to say, What are you doing, but all that he managed to croak was, ". . . y-u. . ."

Whoever it was flinched in surprise, "It's okay Shadow." He knew that voice. But no, that voice was dead.

"Interceptor brought me, the others will be here soon. Then we can get you fixed up." Interceptor brought her. But Interceptor can't bring back the dead. It couldn't be her, he must be mistaken.

". . . Re-?" he wheezed.

She seemed to understand him, "Yeah it's me, Relm! And Cyan and Sabin and Edgar and Gau and Celes and Setzer are almost here, I'm sure of it. So just hang on, okay."

_Relm!? Relm! No. Oh gods, no, no, no, no, no! _"Run . . ." he rasped, "Run . . . now!"

What kind of gratitude was that? She was only trying to **save his life** and he told her to go away, just like everyone else! Well, there was no chance of her leaving him, not with him injured like this. She heard shouts from a nearby chamber and recognized her companion's voices.

"Over here!" she yelled, "Hurry up!"

Shadow groaned. Why couldn't everyone leave him alone! Especially her. Especially **now**. He heard a deep growl start in Interceptor's chest. Black was creeping in around the edges of his vision; soon the blood loss would send him back into unconsciousness.

"Rel- . . . go!" He had no idea if she listened to him or not. The blackness took him again, making him blissfully oblivious to what would soon transpire.

Relm got time to ask, "What is it Interceptor?" before a deeper, fiercer growl sounded from behind her. As she moved to turn around, a massive paw slammed into her back, its claws ripping five deep gauges and sending her flying.

The first thing the party saw when they entered the chamber, was the King Behemoth swatting Relm against a wall, where she crumpled and lay still . . .

*********

Sabin and Edgar sat facing the two occupied beds in the upstairs of Strago's old house in Thamasa. It was their turn to watch the occupants of the bed, to 'Make sure they're breathing and not wandering off to do anything stupid' as Celes put it.

They had only just gotten Shadow and Relm back to Thamasa in time. At first it seemed like Shadow wouldn't make it, but somehow he had pulled through. Now all that the others needed to do was wait until they woke up.

Shadow stirred in his sleep and mumbled incoherently. He jerked his arm and mumbled something again.

"Must be having a nightmare . . ." Edgar mused.

_Woof, woof! He heard the familiar bark behind him, but refused to turn around. If he caught sight of her face one more time, his resolve might crack._

_ "You came to try and stop me . . ."_

_ The dog barked again. He ran to his master's side and looked up with pleading eyes._

_ "I'm sorry, but I can't turn back boy. . ." He always wondered how much the dog understood of human speech. The animal was looking at him with questioning eyes, just like hers, before she asked 'why?' But he couldn't think about her. If he did he might change his mind._

_ "Stay here with my daughter. . ." And keep her safe, he added in his thoughts. Where he was going, no one could follow. He wanted no one to follow. Alone, there was no one to fear for, no one to care about, no one to heal your tortured soul only to rip it out again and leave you empty, in agony, dying inside, wishing, praying to die. _

_ "You both deserve to live in peace. . ." Peace he could not have. Peace he would not accept. Peace was not for him, not with what he had done. Not with what he had to do. . . _

_ He walked out of town. Leaving behind everything, every memory, every touch, every word, every feeling, every laugh, every tear, every fiber of who he once was. Even his name. _

_Everything but the dog. The dog followed him. _

Sabin and Edgar watched as Shadow returned to deep, uneventful sleep. Sabin sighed, "All we can do now is wait . . ."

Edgar nodded, "Rest will help."

Cyan came up to take his watch, but the brothers, loath to leave their comfortable spots, decided to stay to keep him company. The sun was high in the sky when Shadow stirred again, this time into wakefulness.

Sabin noticed it first, "Hey, how are you feeling?" Shadow grumbled when the others added their own questions.

"It's only a scratch. I've had worse," he growled. A big black and brown head appeared over the side of the bed, snaking forward to lick at the exposed skin through his mask. Shadow grinned under the mask and reached out a hand to ruffle Interceptor's ears. "And I've got this guy watching over me."

"Feel like eating something?" Sabin enquired. Shadow took a moment to consider the empty feeling in his gut before nodding.

"Alright then! Be right back!" Edgar joined his brother in rushing down the stairs, leaving Shadow alone with Cyan and Interceptor.

Cyan's lips twisted into one of his smiles that were getting rarer by the day, "Thou art stronger than thou lookst, Shadow. A lesser man would have died." Shadow snorted. By the look on the Doman's face, Cyan considered himself to be one of those lesser men. Cyan's face was paler than Shadow remembered, and thinner too. Even though there was a slight smile on his lips, it did not reach his tired eyes. Shadow had a feeling that Cyan had slid into the depression that had hovered on the edge of his mind ever since the massacre at Doma Castle.

Cyan gave a humorless chuckle. "Thy young friend is also stronger than she looks."

Shadow's forehead wrinkled in confusion. Despite Cyan's protest, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked over at the other bed and its occupant. _Relm_.

"What happened?" Shadow hissed.

Sabin and Edgar returned, bearing a bowl of steaming soup. While Shadow ate, Cyan and the Figaro brothers recounted what had gone on in the cave, what they had seen anyway. When Edgar started to describe some of Relm's injuries, Shadow's stomach almost rejected what little soup he had managed to get down.

"We got you both back here, and the town docs stitched you up," Sabin finished.

"Setzer thought it would be the perfect time to see what you kept under that mask, but Celes told him to bug off and respect your privacy," Edgar added, "Although not in those exact words. . ." Good, so they hadn't seen his face. Shadow was grateful for that small comfort.

Feigning exhaustion, Shadow grumbled, "Would you mind leaving me alone for a bit, I'd like to get some sleep." They hastily agreed and filed out.

When he was sure they were gone, Shadow rolled out of bed. He took a few ginger steps, it hurt like hell, but the pain was manageable. Interceptor woofed. Shadow turned his head to look at his partner. The dog was _glaring_ at him!

"What do you care, boy?"

Interceptor continued to glare as Shadow rooted through some of the drawers in the room. He found a dark grey shirt of Strago's and put it on to hide the bandages covering his torso. A bit loose fitting for his tastes, but it would do. He'd replace it with a proper garment at the next armory. Interceptor woofed again.

"Quiet dog!" Shadow whisper-yelled. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to notice him leaving. Interceptor lifted his lip, exposing the tip of a white fang. Padding over to Relm's bedside, he sat down with a thump. The look he shot Shadow spoke clearer than any words could.

"Stay if you want," Shadow mumbled into the fabric of his mask, "But I have to go."

Interceptor cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow curiously.

"I can't stay, not with them," Shadow growled, "Can't you tell I'm just a danger to her? That I'm . . . starting to feel . . . concern . . . And we both know how that always turns out. How it almost turned out this time. . ." His voice faded as he looked at the little girl, who had almost been mortally wounded, _because of him_. How would he have felt if she had died? Would it have hurt? No, the question wasn't if it would hurt anymore, it was _how much_ it would hurt. And that was why he had to leave.

"I won't hold it against you if you stay here," Shadow told his partner, "just keep her safe, alright?"

Interceptor continued to look at him.

"I'm not staying dog! You can but I'm not! You don't deserve to have to live my life. I do. Don't make yourself suffer for my choices Interceptor. Stay here. Stay with her."

_Why am I arguing with a dog?! I don't think he even understands what I'm telling him. What the hell am I doing?_ The answer came to him in a flash. Stalling. He was stalling because he didn't want to leave. That was all he needed to give him the incentive to cross the floor of the room and open the window. He stepped carefully onto the roof, then dropped to the ground. Wincing as pain ripped through his body, Shadow forced himself to keep going, sticking to the shadows until he was out sight of the town.

All that was left was him, the clothes on his back, and the blades on his belt. This was the way it should be, him, alone, going to do the one thing that had never hurt him. Fight. And now that he had left everything behind, that was exactly what he would do. Nothing to worry about, everything, everyone, was left in that house on the edge of Thamasa.

Except for Interceptor. Interceptor had followed him.

_What do you all think? I wanted to include both Relm and Shadow's dreams after the Behemoth's cave, but since you can only get one, depending on whether you save Shadow on the Floating Continent I decided to do a little plot manipulation. Where is Relm's dream you ask? Well, it's in the next chapter! As well as Shadow in the Coliseum. If you have any opinion to express about this story, please review! Even if the opinion is, it sucks. _

_A question for readers, I have non-plot specific incidents in mind for later chapters. They will most likely be short bits that have little to do with the actual plot, but are just things I thought that might happen between Relm and Shadow. Should I put them in a different fic and keep this one for plot related instances or include them in this fic? Thanks!_


	8. Pretty Hazel Eyes

_ Mwa-ha-ha, I have returned! I'm sorry for the delay, I place the blame entirely on my professors, who must be collaborating so that every single massive project they assign is due within the same two days. But now that they are done, I can return to writing!_

_ A huge thanks to __**Matei-San **__and __**Skykhanhunter**__, my two loyal reviewers! You guys rock! And a note to all you who read and don't review, please do. I really like it and will personally reply to each and every one of your reviews. Even if the review says that the story was unspectacular and you felt like your eyes were being stabbed by a thousand nails as you read it._

_ I do not own FFVI, but is Square Enix is looking to sell the rights, I'd sure as heck buy them! I also make no money from this fanfic, if you have paid for it, learn from your mistakes and DON'T DO IT AGAIN!_

"I can't believe you guys!"

"But Celes," Edgar pleaded.

"Don't you 'but Celes' me! And stop with that appalling pouty face, it won't work on me."

"Yeah," Sabin whispered to his brother, "Only Locke could get away with that."

"I give you a simple task, to make sure that Relm and Shadow stay in bed and keep breathing. And what happens?" Celes glared at them, waiting for an answer. When none came, she supplied it herself, "Shadow runs off! Now he's probably dead in a ditch somewhere because YOU THREE LET HIM ESCAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Cyan's expression shifted just a tiny bit. "Escape?" he said, "Celes, Shadow was not thy prisoner. If he desired to depart, we had no right to halt him."

The former general's mouth opened, but nothing came out. There was nothing she could say to dispute the Doman's statement. Shadow was free to come and go as he pleased, but, why had he left? After the stunt he had pulled on the Floating Continent, Celes believed that he would be like the other members of the group she had come across in her travels, eager to rejoin them and help kick Kefka's ass to kingdom come.

Rather than ponder this oddity further, she redirected her anger back at the Figaro twins. "Well, if you two had the intelligence to let me know he was awake, I could have come up and convinced him to stay and fight with us!"

Setzer folded his arms behind his head and leaned back in the chair beside Relm's bed, grateful that for once Celes's anger was not directed at him. Taking a deck of cards from one of his many pockets, he absently shuffled it as he watched the sleeping girl. She'd been mumbling stuff in her sleep, and had started to roll around under the sheets.

"Probably a bad dream," the gambler said to Gau, who was looking concerned.

_She'd been taking a nap when the downstairs door slamming woke her. Rushing as fast as her little legs could carry her, she hurried down the stairs to see what was going on. When she reached the main floor, she found her grandfather and her dog. Nothing out of the ordinary there. What was out of the ordinary was how they were acting. Grandpa was storming around the room, yelling out all kinds of words that daddy and mommy had told her not to say. And her dog, a puppy really, was acting all twitchy and upset. She hadn't seen either of them so distressed since the day mommy died . . ._

"_Daddy?" she called softly. No one answered. It must have been him leaving when the door slammed. "Where did Daddy go?" she asked Grandpa. He rushed over to her and started to speak, then stopped, composed himself and started again. But he couldn't seem to get out what he wanted to say, he kept stuttering and repeating words. He seemed nervous, and angry at the same time._

_None of what he said answered her questions. She was getting scared now. Ever since mommy had died daddy had been really quiet and sad. He didn't want to spend any time with her anymore. Most of his days were spent out in the cemetery, staring at mommy's gravestone. She knew because she followed him one day. Suddenly an awful thought struck her. She stared pleadingly at Grandpa, "He's coming back . . . isn't he?"_

_Grandpa stopped his rambling for a moment, then knelt down to her level. Putting his arms around her he said sadly, "I don't think so Relm. I don't think so." If he said anything else beyond that, it was lost to her. Burying her head in his thick red cloak, she sobbed and sobbed. First mommy, now daddy. Would Grandpa leave her too? Then she would be alone. All alone. She sobbed even harder, barely noticing the sound of the door opening and closing as her dog let himself out._

Setzer finished shuffling his deck of cards and returned it to his pocket. He looked at Relm. The girl wasn't likely to wake up soon, and even if she did, he doubted she would be up to 'escaping' as Celes called it.

"Hey kid," Setzer said to Gau. The feral youth tore his gaze away from Relm and looked at him curiously. "I'm going to go check on the Falcon, I'll be back in a bit. Don't tell Celes I'm gone." With that, the gambler climbed out the same window Shadow had recently used and leapt down, hurrying out of town before a certain general decided to glance out the window.

Gau turned back to Relm. She was not moving anymore, but now tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes and she was making little whimpering sounds. Gau couldn't stand to watch her suffer through the dream any longer. Leaning over, he gently shook her shoulder. It took a few more shakes, but eventually her eyes opened.

Gau's happy "Uwaoo!" brought her into full awareness. She was no longer in the cave, but in her own bed. Her back was KILLING her. She was eleven years old, not three. Daddy had not come back. Nor had her dog. And Grandpa was gone too. But she wasn't alone.

"Relm okay?" Gau inquired.

She glared at him, "Yes, if having my back feel like it's been cut in half with a butter knife means feeling okay, then yes, I'm just peachy."

As usual, Gau did not pick up on the sarcasm. He smiled (he still had to practice not making it look like he was baring his teeth), and replied, "Good! Gau saw Relm crying in sleep. Gau no like to see people cry. Want to make sure you okay."

"Well, that was nice. Thanks." Suddenly an awful thought struck her. "Gau," she asked hesitantly.

"Uwaoo?"

"Did Shadow . . . make it?" She winced and shut her eyes, almost not wanting to hear the answer. None came. She opened her eyes just a crack. Gau was nodding enthusiastically.

"He did!" Gau continued to nod. "Is he okay? Where is he? Did those slashes get infected? Why isn't he lying down? Wait, is he at the clinic? If he is he must have been hurt really, really bad. What am I kidding, of course he was. But, so was I, I think. So then why am I here and he isn't. Where's Interceptor? Shadow can still fight, right? It would be sad if he couldn't, because I think he likes to fight a lot. Why aren't you answering my questions?" She glared impatiently at Gau, who had shrunk down into what she recognized was a submissive position.

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "Sad Mr. Thou said it not po-lite to talk when other person talks."

If it didn't hurt so much to move, Relm would have smacked herself. She hadn't given him any time to answer. "Sorry, Gau. Can you answer my questions now?" after a moment she added, "I promise I'll be quiet and listen."

Gau straightened up and smiled at her (it still kind of looked like he was baring his teeth), "Okay," he said happily, "We take Relm and Shadow and Interceptor back here. Doctor come fix you up. He say Shadow no live, but he wrong. Shadow wake up yesterday."

"Really! Where is he?" Relm interrupted.

Gau's face fell. "We . . . no know."

"WHAT!"

Gau hunched his shoulders and looked at the ground. "Shadow left. He tell Mr. Thou, Sad Mr. Thou, and Machine-Man that he going to sleep. But when Setzer and Gau come up today, he gone."

Relm's angry shriek could be heard throughout the house. "WHAT?! THAT UNGRATEFUL SON OF A BITCH! LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE WILL HE? WHEN I FIND HIM I'M GONNA-"

The household, and the surrounding area, was then treated to a vivid description of what the young artist would do to one very unlucky assassin the next time she saw him.

_She's going to use my chainsaw to do WHAT?_

_Note to self, if I ever make Relm mad, just use a Blitz on myself to get it over with quickly._

_I was a bloody general and I don't know some of those curses!_

_Uwaoo . . . !?_

_Ah Shadow. If only thou couldst hear how much thy young friend misses thee. I do hope she is not serious . . ._

****

The walls of the Coliseum loomed over the group, the building dwarfing even the impressive Falcon. They had decided to stop there more out of curiosity than anything else. Sabin had plans of getting into a few good fights and Setzer planed on making a bit of money with some well placed bets. The others were content to look around and gawk at some of the fighters who were loafing about.

"So let me get this straight," Relm was talking to some guy who was twice Sabin's size, but looked no-where near as strong (odd, yes, but Sabin had this aura of power about him. This man did not), "when you want to fight, you offer up something, and if one of the other fighters wants what you offer up, they'll fight you."

"Yes," the man replied, "If they win, they get the item you offered up. If you win, you get the item they offered up."

Relm looked at him critically. "So, if you're not one of the lucky ones who gets to choose who they want to fight, you could end up fighting for a crappy piece of shit?"

The man shrugged. "That's the way things go around here. You usually have to fight for a good six months to a year, depending on how good you are, before the boss lets you choose who you fight. 'Cept for this one guy. He shows up three months ago and within a few weeks he's getting to pick his fights. But damn, he deserves it. That guy's vicious!"

Sabin came up behind Relm and cracked his knuckles loudly. "What does this guy like? I'd love to try my strength against him."

Relm snorted and rolled her eyes. Why did Sabin always have to be so freaking _macho_. It was sort of funny at first, but it got old really fast.

The man she had been speaking to shook his head and said quickly, "I advise you NOT to do that! This guy is mean, real mean. He'll kill someone as soon as look at them and he don't care if you ask for mercy. He's fast too. Too fast for any of us to keep up with. I remember the first fight he fought here, we all thought he was a goner. He moved like he was injured bad, but as soon as the bell sounded, _zip_," the man clapped his hands for effect, "he was across the ring before anyone knew what was happening and ol' Marco was lying on the ground with his guts spilling out."

Sabin puffed out his chest and was about to say something in return when Celes called him and Relm over. Relm sighed in relief, it looked like Sabin was about to launch into one of his super macho, I'm a master martial artist who can beat the living daylights out of anything that moves, speeches. As they headed over to Celes, Relm couldn't help making a rude gesture at the grumpy purple octopus working behind the main desk. To her amusement, she caught Sabin sticking his tongue out at their former foe. Okay, so maybe he wasn't _always_ annoying.

Celes glared at them disapprovingly while Edgar gave them both a thumbs up. The former general shook her head at the childish behavior and began speaking, "If you want to fight Sabin, hurry up and get to it. Pick something to wager, but check it out with us first to make sure it's okay. And Relm, please don't go wandering off. I don't like the looks of a lot of the people here."

Relm shrugged. It wasn't like there was anything particularly interesting here anyway. She could always stand on the balcony and annoy Ultros. Maybe she could even get Edgar to join her. He would actually be the perfect one to ask how to make an effective sling shot to launch things at the octopus. Who was she kidding, he probably already had one! But he most likely wanted to watch his brother fight, something about brotherly support, blah, blah, blah. And Setzer would be too busy placing his bets, Gau wouldn't understand why she was tormenting the monster, and Cyan wouldn't be any fun to have standing around moping at her. How she wished Shadow and Interceptor were here! Relm was sure that she could have at least convinced Shadow to stand around and look disinterested while she made faces at Ultros. If she had _really_ pestered him, she might have been able to get ahold of his throwing stars . . .

The young artist's face formed into a grimace when she thought of the absent assassin. She WOULD go through with her threats if she EVER saw him again. After she gave Interceptor a hug of course. Priorities, you see.

"Hey Relm," Sabin's deep voice came from behind her. She spun around to look up at the martial artist who was looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Um, you know that blade we found in the cave on the Veldt? Itch-, itchy-,"

"Ichigeki," Relm supplied.

"Yeah, that's the one! Well, it's the most valuable weapon we have, and since none of us can use it . . . can I wager it?"

Relm shrugged. "Makes no difference to me. But I think it would be smarter to wager something that can be replaced. Like one of your old sets of claws. Who knows, maybe we can use the blade to bargain with someone."

Sabin agreed and decided to wager his second best pair of claws instead. As she watched him approach the counter and hand over the claws, she noticed heavy footsteps behind her. Turning around, she came face to face with Cyan, who, like always, was looking melancholy.

"Whatcha want, stiff neck?" she asked, trying to get some sort of a reaction out of him.

He offered her a sad smile. "That is not the only reason thou didst not wish Master Sabin to wager the weapon. Shadow wields that kind of blade, does he not?"

Relm glared at him. For a guy who was so messed up, he was remarkably perceptive. Maybe he could read minds . . . nah, if he could do that he would have realized that Shadow was going to leave.

Cyan ignored the glare and continued, "Tis very kind of thou. I'm sure Shadow will appreciate it when we find him again."

When we find him? Not if? Was that . . . Optimism? From Cyan? King of moping and depression? He was capable of entertaining positive thoughts? Relm's glare turned into a smile. If he could come out of his dark depressing pit he kept himself in to give her a compliment, the least she could do was thank him.

"Thanks. But it will be a long time before Shadow can fight again when I get through with him!" She skipped away to look at a board posting all the names of the resident fighters at the Coliseum. One weird one caught her eye.

"Hey Cyan! Can you come here?"

The Doman made his way to stand beside her. She reached up and pointed to a name at the top of the board. _Scead: Wins: 68 Loses: 0_.

"Is that word Doman?"

Cyan looked at it for a second. It was, unmistakably, a Doman word. He nodded slowly to the expectant artist, still trying to think a reason for that word to be here. Being used as a name . . .

"Well what does it mean?" she asked impatiently.

Cyan looked down at her and after a moment, replied with a single word.

"Shadow."

*****

The lean fighter jerked the end of his bandages, tightening them to the point where they almost restricted his breathing. He knew he would have to get the wounds looked at soon, the deepest two were infected and starting to ooze while the other three were taking much too long to heal completely. Then again, maybe he wouldn't bother. One day someone would come to fight and be able to take advantage of the delayed reactions his wounds were causing him to have. His own healing magic had been the only thing keeping him going till now, but even that had not been enough to completely heal the deep gashes or drive out the worst of the infection.

Today was worse than normal. He had changed his bandages this morning and found them covered in yellowish pus. Since morning, he had had two dizzy spells and been unable to keep anything richer than dry bread down. Sighing, he absently patted his dog's head. Maybe today would be the day.

Or maybe he would skip fighting today. The world started to spin again and the man had to sit down before he lost his balance and fell. As he held his head in his hands, he thought, _I'll check the boards and if nothing worthwhile is offered, I won't fight_. Normally he would fight at least a few times a day, simply because he could. It didn't matter what the prize was, only that he was able to fight. But today was different. Today he wanted to do nothing more than crawl into his cot and fall asleep.

Groaning, he picked himself up and made his way over to the boards, Interceptor keeping close to his side the whole way. The board was filled with the usual assortment of things, items, relics, weapons, mostly ordinary, arranged in order of their rarity and power. At the top was a set of claws, with a name that almost sounded familiar. Any other day, he would have taken up that fight, because someone betting a weapon that good was almost certain to put up a tough opposition. But since he had no use for the weapon itself, he decided to let it be.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the person who ran the boards dashed over and started to write down another challenge. Out of curiosity, the fighter stayed. When the man finished writing, the fighter could only stare. His yellow-green eyes widened behind his mask and his hand that previously rested gently on his dog's shoulder formed into a fist around a clump of the animal's fur.

"Damn," he whispered as he looked up at the new offering. There was no way in heck he was letting this one slip past him. He staggered towards the manager's desk as quickly as his leaden legs would allow.

****

"Do you think it will work?" Relm questioned Cyan, who was waiting beside her for the matches to be announced. The melancholy Doman said nothing, but moved his shoulders in a faint suggestion of a shrug.

Unbeknownst to their companions, Relm and Cyan had put up the Ichigeki as a wager, hoping to draw this _Scead_ into the open. If he was who they thought he was, he would not be able to resist the temptation of a blade with such power. At least, that was Relm's assumption. Cyan still had his doubts, but the young artist's pleading eyes had been enough to convince him to go along with her plan.

"The first match of the day," a person yelled from next to the doors leading to the arena, "Will be fought for the weapon Ichigeki! Whoever placed that wager please step forward!"

Sabin and the others were shocked when they heard which weapon was being wagered. They were even more shocked when Relm and Cyan approached the doors.

The announcer looked at them critically. "Which of you will be fighting?"

"I will," they said simultaneously.

Relm turned to glare at the taller Doman. "Oh no you don't, it was my idea and I'll fight!"

Cyan shook his head. "No, Relm. Thou art just a child. I cannot in good conscience let thee fight."

He realized that this was not the right thing to say when Relm's glare intensified to the point where she seemed to be spitting fire from her eyes. "Have you forgotten that I fight monsters just like everyone else? I did survive on my own for over a year! And I was traveling around, not holed up in some cave impersonating some girl's dead boyfriend!"

That was the wrong thing to say to him. Something flashed behind his eyes and he straightened out of his depressed slouch. He looked like he had before the breaking of the world, back when he took charge of their group whenever everyone else was too busy arguing and being stupid. When he spoke, he voice had that old commanding edge to it as well.

"Thou art correct, thou canst take care of thyself much better than the average child. But that does not change the fact that THOU ART A CHILD! I am an adult. One who hast seen much battle and hast dedicated my life to defending my home. I am not only better qualified to fight, but also would be less of a loss if I die. I have lived my life. Thou hast yet to live thine."

He took the shocked silence that greeted him as an expression of agreement. Pushing his way through the big double doors, the old Doman entered the arena, shoulders back, head up, chest out, walking the way he had before Kefka had taken all that was meaningful from his life.

*****

On the other side of the arena, Shadow, or _Scead_, as he called himself in the Coliseum, convinced himself that the infection was making him hallucinate. Cyan would never agree to fight in the arena, fighting for the entertainment of others had to be against that honor bound fool's moral code. Besides, the apparition was moving like the old Cyan had, back before the breaking of the world. It had to be a hallucination. Had to be.

The crowd was chanting his stage name, in the few months he had come here he had become quite the favorite. Never losing a match. Never leaving an opponent alive. 68 wins. 68 kills. No other fighter had a record that strong.

Not that he cared what they thought of him, or what the records said. His reason for fighting was the fight itself. The feeling of power and pure mastery of himself that came with every slash of the blade, every sidestep and dodge. When he fought, he was totally in control. Everything was precise and perfect. There was no right or wrong. No morals. Just his body, his blades, and his target. He wished all of life were as simple as fighting.

Forcing himself to stand straight, he winced as a lance of pain shot down his spine. Another dizzy spell threatened, but he pushed it away. One foot after the other, he walked towards the hallucination.

"Shadow?" the man that had to be a hallucination questioned, "Shadow!"

Shadow drew back his lips in a sickly snarl under his mask. Why must his mind always haunt him with images of the past? Drawing his blade he rushed forward, ignoring the pain and sickness for the scant moment it would take him to slit the hallucination's throat.

The clang of steel on steel shocked Shadow more than he cared to admit. The Doman, who must be a hallucination, had raised his shield at the last second and deflected the assassin's blade. Shadow continued his rush past, but spun around so as not to put his back on his opponent. The hallucination, Cyan, had drawn a katana.

"Shadow!" the hallucination yelled as Shadow was readying himself for another pass, "I do not wish to fight thee!"

Forcing another wave of dizziness aside, Shadow charged again, this time planning not to do his usual swiping pass, but to engage in blade to blade combat. His shaking knees did not feel like they could stand another sprint. He angled his strike around the large shield, but the hallucination's very real sword intercepted and sent his blade off course. With a snarl he struck again, and again, with a precision born of years of practice and control. Even if he felt like he was going to hurl and topple over at the same time, his swings and slashes were as precise as when he was healthy.

But each and every one of his strikes was blocked, by shield or sword, with seemingly little effort on the hallucination's part. And the damn thing wouldn't attack! If it would just get onto the offensive Shadow could find a gap and strike home, ending the fight and allowing him to go lie down on his cot. Or the hallucination could end the fight another way, allowing Shadow to rest for all eternity.

"Fight me!" Shadow hissed, "Stop defending!"

The hallucination sighed and locked blades with him. He stared at Shadow over his shield with dark, empty eyes. "As thou wishes."

Rather than twisting his sword to break the blade lock, the hallucination of Cyan drove his shield into Shadow's chest, throwing the smaller man away. Before he could regain his balance, the hallucination was on him, blade dancing and weaving. When Shadow blocked his strikes the hallucination did not stop the movement, only changed directions, making his entire salvo of attacks into one continuous flow of movement. There were breaks in the hallucination's defenses, sure, but Shadow just couldn't seem to strike at them fast enough.

The flash of silver all around him was doing nothing to help his dizziness. He lunged, only to be smashed back by another shield thrust. He staggered as he was pushed back. Wetness was seeping through the bandages on his back and the screaming pain was almost unbearable. But pain he could deal with. It was the dizziness, and the nauseous feeling in his gut, and now the overpowering burning heat that was affecting him. He started the first step of an attack. And stumbled. He, the great Shadow, stumbled.

Taking advantage of the misstep, the hallucination shield rushed him again. This time the force of the blow made his legs buckle and he crumpled to the ground.

_Up, up. Have to get up. Must, can't, I can't. Too tired. Let me sleep. Leave me alone. Screw fighting. Just let me sleep._

Through the haze of pain and fever, Shadow did not notice when his hallucination abruptly sheathed its sword and ran over to kneel beside his prone form.

"Shadow! Shadow!"

There was a great commotion from behind the doors to the fighter's quarters and suddenly Interceptor burst into the arena. He galloped to his master, snarling and snapping until Cyan backed away, then bent to franticly lick what he could of Shadow's face through the mask. But the assassin was too far off to even notice that.

There was more commotion from the audience, when Relm pushed her way through the crowd and jumped into the arena. She was followed by the rest of their group.

"Damnit Cyan!" Relm yelled, "What the hell did you do!"

Cyan looked just as horrified as the others at Shadow's state. "I did nothing," he sputtered, "twas a hit to the chest! Then he fell!"

Relm pushed past Interceptor and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder, but jerked it away almost immediately. She could feel the heat of his fever through his garments. "Jeez! He's got one hell of a fever!"

While they were still taking that information in, one of the ringmasters of the arena yelled over the noise of the angry and impatient crowd, "Can you PLEASE clear the arena so we can get the next fight started!"

Without hesitation, Sabin scooped up Shadow, ignoring Interceptor's vicious snarls, and carried him out of the arena and into the fighter's quarters, the rest of the group hot on his heels. Once out of the arena, Celes took charge, finding an empty cot and directing Sabin to place Shadow on it.

"Relm, hold the dog. Sabin, get him on his stomach and pull his shirt up." Sabin did as she asked and revealed the blood and pus soaked linen wrapped around Shadow's torso. With a swipe of his claws he cut through it and peeled it away gently, uncovering the five deep slashes that had refused to heal. The two largest were an angry red with tiny red lines of infection radiating from them. The others, two that had reopened, and one that had never closed up oozed unnaturally dark blood.

"How he live?" Gau asked incredulously.

Celes shook her head, not really believing the sight herself. This man had survived for _three months_ with wounds that looked like this? And had fought with them?

"He must have been healing them on his own, but never been able to heal them completely," she answered. Turning to Relm, she asked the horror struck girl, "What do we do?"

Steeling her stomach, Relm let go of Interceptor's collar and approached the cot. As the only one who had grown up around magic, she was the most familiar with what it could and couldn't do, especially when it came to healing. She looked at the gruesome wounds, noting their size, depth, cleanliness, and degree of infection.

"I think," she said after looking them over, "that we'll need Poisona to get rid of the infection, and at least two Curagas to close them up." Somehow, Shadow had retained consciousness throughout the ordeal; he was muttering some indecipherable speech to someone only he could see.

Celes nodded her consent. "Gau, you should use Poisona, Relm and Edgar, you two use Curaga."

The three hurriedly positioned themselves so they could place their hands on Shadow's back. For wounds this serious, the magic was best applied directly to the area of affliction.

"Uwaoo, Poisona!"

"Curaga!"

"Curaga!"

The silver light of healing magic shone and the onlookers could only watch in awe as first, the red lines of infection disappeared, then the puffy redness. Slowly, the wounds began to close, healing from the inside out. Even with the two Curagas there was not enough magic to completely heal the wounds. When the silver light disappeared, all that was left were three clean shallow gashes, the three deepest of the original slashes. The excessive heat radiating from Shadow's body had also gone, taking the confused muttering with it.

Shadow's growling voice broke the silence.

"Get your hands off and tell me what the hell happened."

When the three pairs of hands were removed, Shadow pushed himself up and turned to face his impromptu doctors.

"You!" he practically shouted when the faces of Relm, Edgar, Sabin, Gau, Cyan, and Celes appeared in his vision, "What are you doing here!"

Ignoring her companions' shocked looks, Relm put her hands on her hips and glared at the startled assassin. "What are _you_ doing here?" she shot the question right back at him.

"I'm doing the only thing I know how to do . . ." Shadow replied in a flat, dull tone, "I'm fighting." Why he even bothered answering her was beyond him.

Relm was about to say something in retort, but was knocked over by a large, over-excited mutt shoving past to throw himself at the recently healed assassin. Shadow half heartedly fended off Interceptor's ecstatic licks, glad to have the excuse not to focus on the other people in the room. Specifically one person.

Now everyone was talking at once, telling him what had transpired. Celes described his injuries in great detail, berated him for not getting them looked at and fighting before they were healed. Gau, Sabin, and Edgar were telling him a combination of what had happened since he left them in Thamasa and his apparent fight with Cyan. _I fought with Cyan? When was this?_ Cyan kept on asking him questions about why he did not respond to his name during the fight. And Setzer was just having a blast talking about the gil he had made betting against him in the match.

Relm, for once, didn't talk. She just stared at him with those big hazel eyes. Suddenly her voice cut through the chatter.

"Why don't you come with us?"

Before he knew what he was doing, Shadow had muttered, "Perhaps I should . . ."

_NO!_ roared the voice in his head, _they healed you, thank them for that, then send them on their way! _

The others had stopped talking and were watching him. Relm still stared, with those wide, pretty eyes.

_Fighting is simple! Stay here and fight. Keep away from them, keep away from her! Remember what happened last time? _

She cocked her head to the side like a pleading puppy, still staring.

_ They will be your ruin! You will be their ruin! Keep yourself safe and keep them safe. Stay and fight. That is what you do best and there is no end to the fighting here._

Yes. No end to the fighting. And no challenge to it. Nothing to fight for.

_Since when do you need something to fight for_?

Pretty hazel eyes.

_Think of them! Think of her!_

Yes. Them. Her. Trapped in a burning house. Convulsing in pain from Heat Star. Frozen by Kefka. No! NO! Stop it! Don't think of them. Don't do it! What do they matter? They are nothing, nothing, NOTHING!

Pleading hazel eyes.

What good is a fighter if he cannot challenge himself?

"All right!" he exclaimed, pushing Interceptor away and getting off the cot to stand before the others, "It's time to put my skills to the ultimate test!"

"So you'll come?" Relm queried, not quite sure if she could believe him. Shadow nodded his head as affirmation. Her face split into a wide, joyful grin that was reflected in her sparkling eyes.

Pretty hazel eyes.

_And so ends the majority of the plot related instances in this fic. Sorry I put so much more of the others into this one. They were there, and the time was right, and I know I probably went on too long with Cyan and Gau and everyone, because this is supposed to be focused on Shadow and Relm, and yeah, I'll stop rambling now. Reviews are appreciated!_

_ Random information, Scead is the Old English word for Shadow. I have decided that Doman is going to be Old English. I am not creative enough to make up my own language. _


	9. What have I done?

_Hullo again! Here's the start of my non plot based portion of the fic! Get ready for some oddness, and don't be afraid to yell at me if you think I've gone too far. _

_ On a side note, I'm ticked at myself. On a whim I watched the opening cut scene for the PS1 version of FFVI on Youtube. For those of you who've never seen it, I'd highly recommend it, it give some nice close ups of a couple of characters, and in decent graphics. Well, one of these close ups is why I'm upset. All my physical descriptions of Shadow have been based on how he looks in that cut scene, blue face, lean, his running attack style. But I did not observe the color of his eyes correctly! They are actually a strange misty blue, not yellow-green like I mentioned earlier. Sorry Shadow . . . Anyways, all further references to Shadow's eyes will be made in the CORRECT color. _

_ Thanks to __**TitleContreven**__, __**Skykanhunter**__, and __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__ for the helpful reviews. And since this intro is already too long, don't own FFVI, don't make money from this fic._

Shadow gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position on the couch and looked around the Falcon's large common area. Aside from Interceptor lying on the floor nearby, he was alone.

_Perfect_, he thought. Taking care to make no sharp or jerky movements, he slowly swung his legs to the floor and stood up. The muscles in his back screamed at him, but it was nothing compared to the burning pain of infection and tortured wailings of overworked, unhealed flesh he had dealt with for the past three months.

Although he was not sure if the disappearance of the worst of the pain was worth the trouble of dealing with his companions. It only took a few days to remind Shadow exactly how irritating each one of them actually was. Sure, they meant well, but couldn't they see that he was better off alone? He only came along for the fighting, NOT to be grilled about his whereabouts for the past three months or to listen to how many heads Sabin had split or how much gil Setzer had gambled away.

And he had certainly not come along to be told that he was on bed rest until his back finished healing!

Forcing himself to walk without a trace of a limp and keep his back straight, he started to pace around the room. If he could just get his muscles to loosen up enough he could get in a few blade dances before his companions returned. After a few circuits of the room, he felt relaxed enough to begin. Going down in a crouch, he placed a hand on Ichigeki's hilt, ready to draw as he sprung up in the first moves of the blade dance. He cleared his mind of all distraction, and when that was done, began to calmly take note of any obstacles in the room.

_Interceptor, couch, chair, table._ As he listed them to himself, he mentally marked their position so he would be able to maneuver around them during the dance. This complete, he emptied his mind of all thought, save the feeling of each and every one of his muscles, ready to respond to his commands. Everything was right, even the pain was gone, pushed away by sheer willpower. Closing his eyes, Shadow began to slowly draw air into his lungs in the deep breath that always preceded the initial move of the dance.

"What are you doing?"

Shadow's eyes shot open and he found himself staring at the Falcon's resident artist, who had her hands on her hips and was looking at him accusingly.

_The. Gods. Hate. Me._

Ignoring her question, he rose slowly so that he could glare down at her.

"I thought you went with the others."

She met his glare with one of her own. "They told me to stay behind. They didn't think it was _safe_ for a _little girl_," she practically spat _little girl_, "to be wandering around in Narshe. Pah! Like I haven't been worse places! Now, answer my question, what were you doing?"

Behind his mask Shadow's lips formed a confused frown. "Since when do you listen to orders to stay behind?" he questioned the normally rebellious artist.

"Ah, ah," Relm wagged her finger back and forth at him, "you didn't answer my question."

Shadow's queer expression, one eye squinting combined with an almost jaunty head cock, was clearly a mocking _So? _

Relm rolled her eyes and sighed, "That's the way it goes. I answer one of your questions, and then you answer one of my questions. It's not Figaroan mechanics."

Internally grumbling, Shadow realized he _wanted_ to know the reason Relm decided to listen to authority this time. Besides, he didn't have to tell her the truth in his answers to any question she might have. It's not like she would know the difference.

"I was doing some exercises," he said quietly, "to keep myself in condition."

Relm narrowed her eyes at him, "You know there's a reason Celes said you should be on bed rest!"

The dark clad assassin shrugged. "I'm fine." When Relm tried to protest, he cut her off, "I believe you owe me an answer."

With a smirk Relm replied, "I don't owe you anything. I answered one of your questions, then you answered one of mine. Since this is your second question, I don't owe you an answer, but since I'm feeling charitable, I give it to you anyway."

Shadow internally groaned. More likely than not he would end up having to answer another question as well. He was becoming less fond of this question game by the second.

Unaware of the assassin's silent apprehension, Relm continued on, "I decided to follow orders for once because I figured someone who was actually competent needed to stay behind and make sure you didn't do anything stupid. And it looks like I was right!" she finished with a triumphant grin.

Rather than honor her with a reaction, Shadow turned his back on the chatty artist and slowly made his way back to the couch. To his chagrin, he heard Relm following him. While he lowered himself onto the right side, she thumped down on the left, experimentally bouncing up and down a few times before settling herself.

Not wanting to, but knowing he would have to acknowledge her at some point; Shadow turned his head to stare at the young girl, who was currently calling Interceptor over. When the big dog approached, she patted the empty cushion between her and the assassin, encouraging the canine to join them. Interceptor looked curiously at Shadow, who offered a quick nod. Now that he had his boss's permission, Interceptor wasted no time in hopping up and making himself comfortable between the two humans, settling with his head facing Relm and his tail facing Shadow.

"Loyal mutt, aren't you," Shadow muttered.

Relm smirked and scratched Interceptor's ears. "He knows where the good things come from."

The long black tail started to wag, smacking Shadow's leg every couple of seconds or so. The assassin looked at his supposedly vicious canine partner in disgust. If any of their companions saw this, the big black and brown animal sprawled out on the couch, tongue lolling, head practically in Relm's lap, tail thumping away on the tops of Shadow's legs . . .

"So what am I going to ask you," Relm mussed. When Shadow sent an irritated glance her way, she pointedly ignored it. "Hmmm . . ."

_Just leave me alone, girl. Gods, why won't she leave me ALONE!_

"I've got one!" Relm said excitedly, "How do you make your face blue and your eyes so pale?"

"That's two questions."

"No it's not! "

"Face- one. Eyes- two."

"Fine then!" Relm grumbled, "Answer them both then ask me another question so it'll be fair."

The question (or questions) wasn't nearly as bad as Shadow had been expecting. He really didn't have any trouble answering them with the truth. "One of my poisons, when applied to skin, dyes it blue. It's a long lasting dye, so I only need to apply it every three or four weeks. The eyes are another poison's work. It's a deadly one I've built up a resistance to, but still suffer from one of the side effects, the misting of the iris. It lasts for as long as the poison is in my blood stream, a good two weeks most of the time. And before you ask, no, it doesn't affect my vision."

"I didn't know poisons could do so much," Relm said, sounding more than a little awed, "I thought they only killed people." Shadow shrugged. If you knew how to use them, poisons could do so many different things, even heal. But you had to know exactly what you were doing, because mistakes meant death.

"Alright, now ask me a question."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I don't care about this silly notion you have of a question for a question."

Mockingly, Relm copied him and rolled her own eyes. "Well I don't want it hanging over my head, so ask me a freakin' question already."

She wanted a question? Fine, he'd ask a bloody question. The more time he spent in Relm's company, the more respect he gained for the old man who called himself her grandfather. How had that coot put up with this little spitfire for _seven years_?

"Do you miss him," he suddenly blurted out, surprising even himself. He had not intended to ask any question at all, let alone this one.

Relm looked at him curiously. "Who?"

"Strago."

Interceptor's tail stopped wagging at the same time Relm's suddenly nerveless fingers stopped petting him. At first, Shadow was grateful for the end of the irritating smacks, but one look at Relm's face was enough to convince him he would rather sit through a tail wagging session with a scorpion than see the little artist look so sad again.

"Of course I miss him," she said softly, "he's my grandpa." Shadow expected this to be it, but to his surprise, Relm continued to speak.

"He, he raised me. After mommy died and Daddy left . . . he was all I had. I was so scared he would leave. So scared of being left alone. And now he is gone, and, and," Relm swiped a hand across her eyes, hoping to stem the flow of tears. She had managed to shut out the pain of Strago's absence, telling herself that she _would_ find him, just like she had found the others. But that was six months ago. Adventuring helped her forget, to push her grandfather to the back of her mind. She felt horrible when she thought of it that way, but it was true. It hurt too much to think about him. Hurt worse than the injuries inflicted by the behemoth had. Hurt so bad she couldn't even breathe.

Shadow almost left right then and there when a sob ripped from Relm's throat. Left to go find a secluded cave where he could stab himself in the gut until it ended. A knife surely wouldn't hurt as bad as whatever emotion was lancing through him.

Relm squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying not to cry. Crying was for babies, not her! But try as she might, salty drops started to make their way from the corners of her eyes down her cheeks. She heard a quiet _woof_, and suddenly a long warm tongue was gently licking the tears away. Opening her eyes a crack, she met Interceptor's concerned gaze. The big animal was sitting up now, nosing her cheek, trying his best to comfort her in any way he could.

For some reason, it was too much for her. Flinging her arms around Interceptor's neck, she started to sob uncontrollably into his thick black fur.

Shadow couldn't think anymore. He could only watch helplessly as Relm hugged Interceptor tight, as if she was afraid of him vanishing into thin air. It _hurt_. It hurt to watch her hurt like this. It hurt to see her afraid. Afraid of being alone . . . Along with the painful feeling practically tearing his body apart, Shadow was beginning to realize something. He did not want her to hurt or to fear.

"Relm," he said, reaching over to gently put a hand on her shoulder, "Relm, you are not alone."

_What are you doing?_

When her sobs did not abate, Shadow continued, "You have your friends. Sabin, Edgar, Celes, Setzer, Gau, Cyan. You have Interceptor. And you have . . ." he voice dropped down to almost a whisper, "you have me. You are not alone."

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!_

He wasn't sure how it happened, but one second Relm had her arms fastened around Interceptor, the next thing he knew, they were around _him_. Her head was pillowed onto his chest, her tears making a steadily growing damp spot on the dark fabric, and her arms wrapped around him like a vice. His back screeched at the sudden pressure, but Shadow did not notice. Did not care.

Hesitantly, cautiously, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Easy there," he said haltingly, "shhh now, easy." Her sobs lightened, only to be replaced by pitiful whimpering. Interceptor, who had been pushed to the floor when Relm had flung herself at Shadow, jumped back on the couch and nuzzled what little of Relm's face wasn't buried in Shadow's shirt.

"Easy, it's okay," Shadow continued, "Interceptor's here. I'm here. We aren't going to leave you alone Relm. You are not alone."

Blessedly, the whimpering stopped. But still, Relm held him, tighter than Interceptor's death grip on an enemy's throat. Every so often, she would shiver, and with each shiver, Shadow would softly say, "Easy, easy now." Finally, even the shivers stopped. Exhausted by her outburst, Relm had fallen asleep. But even asleep, she would not relinquish her grip on the assassin.

Shadow looked down at the little girl, with her head still resting on his chest and her arms still wrapped around him and sighed.

_What have I done?_

&*&*&*&*&

_I am sorry for any and all OOCness that may have occurred. But here is my reasoning. Relm is 11. She may try to act like a teenager, but she is still just 11. Strago was mother/father/dog/etc. He was her entire family, and now he's gone. After the breaking of the world, I'm sure Relm had quite a few breakdowns like this, but eventually she was able to push Strago to the back of her mind (as mean as that sounds it's true) and live life as normally as possible. But when Shadow reminded her, it's like poking a half healed wound. It feel fine, but as soon as it's touched, wham, pain back in all its former glory. _

_ As for Shadow . . . um . . . No one was there to see, so . . . Well, what would you do in his place? _

_ Reviews are welcome. Criticism is appreciated. So are comments on things I should change. Ideas for other interactions are enjoyed. _


	10. Not the only one who learned about Love

_Okay, I decided to take out my Christmas special chapter and replace it with this. I'll be re-publishing the full version of the chap as a fic of its own. Anyway, this chap is back to the action, with a healthy dosage of magic, sharp shiny things, and disturbingly obese green demon-like creatures! _

_ A huge thanks to __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__, __**TitleContreven**__, and __**Akro88**__ who reviewed chapter 9 and __**Skykhanhunter**__ who reviewed the former chapter 10. Thank you guys, you rock!_

_ I do not own FFVI, if I did, I would make good on this sweet idea for a sequel that I have (think Dirge of Cerberus, but with Shadow playing the main role and the fanatics taking the place of Deepground). I also make no money from this fanfiction, if you paid for it, take a lesson from the monks in Monty Python's the Holy Grail and whack yourself with a board a few times._

=I=====

The devastation was complete. Not a building or blade of grass was spared. A gaping trench tore through what had once been a thriving town, its yawning mouth leering at those who dared look upon it. Only one building stood, barely. The roof was nothing to speak of and with each gust of wind the supports threatened to give out for good.

Death. This place that had once been a town stank of it. The aura surrounded every scrap of rubble, every scorch mark, the half live grass, the skeletal dogs skulking about. Yes, there was no doubt. Death.

_Only a god should have this power_, Shadow thought as his eyes roamed over what had once been a town, _is that what we are against? A god?_ He could not believe that anyone, especially not the young half esper and a bunch of children, could possibly survive here, this place where a god had vented his anger. There was nothing. Nothing at all. Yet his companions insisted that this was where Terra lived.

"Terra! Children!" Celes yelled, "It's us. Terra!"

The Figaro twins and Cyan were calling out the young half espers's name as well, but there was no response from the dead place. Save for a few of those skeletal dogs coming over to investigate. With a snarl and a flurry of snaps, Interceptor sent them away with their tails between their legs.

"Good dog," Shadow muttered, giving the big black and brown animal a pat on the head. It was likely that the strays were displaced pets from Mobliz, but Shadow wasn't about to take any chances. In their condition the dogs could have easily turned feral and if they got confident there were enough of them to make a hunting pack very, very dangerous. Better to drive them away than risk being mauled for the pieces of dried meat he kept in his pack.

"Shadow," the former Imperial general called out to him, "Sabin, Edgar, Cyan, and I are going to see if Terra is in the basement of that house over there. Can you and Relm look some more around the town, just in case?"

Answering with a short nod, Shadow turned and went off to find the wayward artist. "Interceptor," he growled. The dog looked at him expectantly. "Seek," Shadow continued, crouching down and holding his hand in a fist at the dog's eye level, "Seek Relm." The dog woofed and quickly set off in the direction of what may have once been a shed.

=I=====

_Where would I go if I absolutely did not want to be found_, Relm asked herself. That small, practically falling down structure looked like a good bet! Like all the structures in the town, the roof was gone, burned away the day the Light of Judgment ripped through. All that was left of the structure was three support posts and a wall. Very dangerous, just the kind of place that people would avoid. And therefore just the kind of place that Relm figured someone would go if they wanted to be alone!

Even though she was certain that her assumption was true, she almost squeaked in surprise when she rounded the wall and came face to face with one of Mobliz's survivors. _Almost_. The young man looked just as shocked that someone had found him, but the expression on his face soon returned to a blank, hopeless stare.

"Duane, what are you doing over here?" Relm asked, "Where is everyone else? Are they okay? Where's Terra? WHAT'S WRONG?"

The young man looked at her blankly, "I . . . don't know what to do. Katarin's pregnant . . ."

Now it was Relm's turn to stare at _him_ blankly. Why did everyone say that you got smarter as you got older? All the older people she met were so **stupid** sometimes!

"What the heck to do you mean you don't know what to do! I assume that you're the dad, because there aren't any other guys in this town even remotely old enough to. . ." Duane's face and neck turned a deep crimson. Yup, he was definitely the dad.

"It's obvious what you're going to do. You're going to go take care of Katarin and your baby! You're going to love them both and keep them safe for the rest of your life! Because that's what dads do. My daddy left when I was little, so I know what it's like to grow up without a dad. It sucks. It really, really sucks. No one should have to grow up without a dad, so if you're even thinking of leaving your baby, you better un-think that! 'Cause if you don't I'm going to beat you black and blue _then_ I'm going to paint a picture of Shadow and Interceptor and _they_ can beat you even blacker and bluer!"

Duane stared at the irate young girl, digesting what she had told him. "You're right," he said slowly, "I can't abandon them. I **won't** abandon them! Thank you!" Brushing past Relm, he dashed towards the remains of the Mayor's house, intent on making things better with Katarin.

Pleased with her accomplishment, Relm skipped around the wall, deciding to investigate this structure a little further. What she found first surprised her more even more than Duane's presence. On the other side of the wall was Shadow, with Interceptor at his feet. The infallible assassin had one arm and his forehead resting on the wall and seemed to be . . . shaking?

"Shadow?" she said uncertainly, "Are you okay?"

At first the assassin did not move, but then, quick as a gust of wind in a storm, he spun away from the wall, away from Relm.

"I'm going back to the ship," he rasped, "To help Setzer and Gau." Without another word, he strode off, leaving Relm and Interceptor staring after him until his black clad back disappeared over the ridge the Falcon rested behind.

=I====

_You're going to love them both and keep them safe for the rest of your life!_

_ Clyde? Hmmm? Can I talk to you? _

_ That's what dad's do!_

Shadow's head buzzed with voices, some new, some forcibly forgotten.

_ Course Reina, are you crying? Clyde . . . What's wrong Rei? Clyde . . ._

_ My daddy left when I was little._

_ Rei, what's the matter? Clyde, I'm pregnant._

"Stop," he hissed, "Gods, please stop!"

_ It sucks._

_ You're, no way . . . you're pregnant, no, this can't, how? I'm sorry, Clyde, so sorry._

_ It really, really sucks._

_ No, Rei, don't be sorry, it's not your fault, not your . . . You'll stay, won't you?_

Reaching the side of the Falcon, Shadow leaned his upper body against the cool metal. "Quiet . . . stop . . . please, no more . . . stop . . ."

_ No one should have to grow up without a dad._

_ I-I'd never leave you Rei, I . . . love you. Clyde, you?! Yeah, I guess so. You'll really stay? I promise Reina, the Emperor himself couldn't take me away from you and the, no, __**our**__ baby. _

A black gloved fist smashed into the armored side of the Falcon. Again. And again. He felt something in his hand snap, but continued to pound the unyielding metal. How he wished he could run! Flee this pain, just as he had fled it the other times. But he couldn't. He had promised her he wouldn't let her be alone! That he'd be there. He. Couldn't. Break. Another. Promise. Over and over he slammed his fist into the ship, until the cloth of his glove was bloody and torn, until the pain and thundering booms had drowned out the voices whirling around the dark assassin's head.

Slumping to the ground, Shadow cradled his bloody, throbbing hand to his chest. Probing it experimentally, he hissed at the distinctive feel and sound of bone edges grating together.

For a brief moment he was yet again distracted by voices. But blessedly, these voices came from inside the Falcon, not inside his head.

"What in all holy hell was banging on my ship! No, damnit you little wolf pup, let go of my coat! I don't care if it WAS that blasted green blob, if it damaged my ship I'll tear it so full of holes that-. I said LET GO!" A silver haired head poked out of a port hole and looked around. Recognizing the crumpled black form at the base of his ship, Setzer's eyebrows rose until they met about halfway up his forehead.

"Shadow?! That was YOU banging on the hull like that?"

Trying his best to ignore the self absorbed gambler, Shadow set about taking a few strips of bandage from his pack and binding his broken hand. "Yes."

"Hmph," Setzer snorted, "Well next time, GAU, LET GO OF ME, IT'S ONLY SHADOW, just open the hatch! We thought you were that big ol' green thing that tramped through right before the banging started."

"Green thing?" With a jerk, Shadow tightened the bandages enough to keep the bones still until one of the party members with a high level Cure spell could attend to it. His Cura was fine for flesh wounds, but did nothing for bones or internal injuries.

"Yeah," Setzer replied, "About ten feet tall and probably a couple thousand pounds overweight. Nasty sucker. We were looking for some flares because it looked like it was heading for Mobliz, but then the banging started and-. Hey, what the hell! Where are you going now?!"

But Shadow was no longer listening. Scrambling to his feet, the dark assassin set off at a dead run, back in the direction he had come.

=I====

A sickly smell, a combination between unwashed flesh, rotting meat, and burning fat, washed over Relm and Interceptor at about the same time the ground began to shake under their feet. With a snarl, Interceptor positioned himself so that he would be between Relm and whatever was coming.

"Interceptor, come on! We have to get to the others!" Relm remembered both the smell and the ground shaking from her last visit to the dead town, and knew that there was no possible way she or Interceptor had a chance surviving what was coming. But the dog wouldn't move! Not having seen the monster before, Interceptor was only concerned with keeping whatever it was away from Relm, _not running_.

In an instant, the creature entered the town. Mountains of flabby green flesh balanced atop two impossibly skinny legs, with a horned head and sharp predatory teeth. It was something out of a child's worst nightmare. Quickly wrapping her hands around Interceptor's muzzle in an attempt to quiet the big dog, Relm desperately hoped the monster hadn't noticed them.

Her hopes were in vain. With a deafining roar the creature charged the remains of the shed sheltering the girl and the dog. Ripping himself free of Relm's grip, Interceptor raced into what had been the town square, meeting the monster half-way.

=I====

Shadow could only watch in horror as his dog leapt at the demon creature. Using his powerful jaws, Interceptor tore at the monster's immense belly, but to no avail. The excess of fat provided a shield and kept Interceptor from coming even close to its internal organs. With a large clawed hand the monster plucked the dog off and hurled him through the wall of a crumbling building. That distraction gone, the creature once again began to stalk towards the young artist.

As one, a flurry of voices screamed Relm's name. Those who had ventured into the house had emerged and were now rushing towards Relm and her attacker. But they were too far, too far! Relm was frantically spewing spells at the beast, but they only seemed to be a slight irritation. Taking a deep breath, Relm waited until the creature was almost within striking range before she yelled out the command for her more powerful spells.

"THUNDARA!" she howled. The creature was surrounded by a haze of blue lightning, a spell that should have made its flesh crackle and smoke, should have had the creature bellowing in pain. But instead, the monster absorbed the lightning, using the spell's power to heal itself. The creature leered down at its prospective prey and drew back an arm to strike.

Silent as the darkness from which he took his name, Shadow sprinted a few more steps and sprang, drawing a long blade with his good hand. As his feet touched down on the monster's back, he stabbed down, burying the blade up the hilt in the flesh under the creature's shoulder. The monster arched back, bellowing at the sudden intense pain. As the creature arched, the angle of its strike changed and instead of slashing Relm to bits, its arm swung high smashing into the supports for the structure Relm was trapped beneath.

Shadow leapt over the monster's head to land beside the young artist. Before she could protest, he grabbed her shoulder threw her out from under the structure. Relm hit the ground several feet away, looking up just in time to see the entire construction collapse on top of her rescuer, burying him beneath a small mountain of scorched beams and broken boards.

"Relm, get out of here!" Edgar yelled as he ran past, pulling down a gas mask and revving up one of his many machines as he went. He was followed by Cyan and Sabin, while Celes kept back to cast spells. As the four engaged the monster, their battle slowly moved away from the pile of rubble that had once been the ruins of a shed, leaving the way clear for Relm to dart forward.

She was joined by the staggering form of Interceptor, who after extricating himself from the ruined building had limped over to the young artist.

"Interceptor, help me find Shadow!" Relm cried as she struggled to move a board almost as long as she was tall. Thought the dog did not understand all of the words, he caught on to Relm's anxious tone. And though he could not see him, Interceptor could smell his boss, his boss's blood, underneath the rubble. So, as quickly as his injured leg would allow, he started to dig.

The two hardly noticed when the remains of the square behind them were lit up by a bright flash. The monster's roars changed in pitch and intensity, but at that moment, Relm and her canine companion had much more important matters to attend to: Interceptor had uncovered Shadow's left shoulder. Working together, they quickly removed the biggest pieces of debris from Shadow's battered body. As Relm had expected (but hoped against) Shadow was unconscious.

Putting a hand over his head, Relm whispered, "Raise," hoping and praying to all the gods who were listening (except for that psychotic deranged clown of course) that he wasn't too far gone. To her relief, after the silver light had faded Shadow's eyes cracked open and what parts of his face she could see twisted in pain. Quickly casting Curaga before he could go under again, Relm stepped back to watch the magic work.

Shadow groaned as he felt his broken ribs shifting around, one of them pulling out of a lung, before they returned to their proper positions and began to knit together. The hole in his lung, along with the various other internal bruises, repaired themselves as well, sending a rough burning feeling through his gut and chest. So used up was the magic mending his life threatening injuries that there was not enough left to even fix his broken hand, never mind the myriad of scratches and bruises covering the rest of his body. In spite of the pain, his head felt remarkably clear, telling him that he had somehow managed to avoid a concussion.

_That . . . that thing! Interceptor! Relm!_ With a jolt, Shadow sat up; ignoring the still burning feeling in his gut that let him know the magic hadn't entirely finished with him. The first thing he noticed was the hulking green corpse in the distance, with Celes, Cyan, Edgar, Sabin, and what looked to be Terra in her esper form standing nearby. Those four were surrounded by a group of small children, the oldest most likely being no more than seven. That was the last thing he saw, before two large brown paws planted themselves on his chest and slammed him back into the dirt. He just got a glimpse of Interceptor's joyful countenance before the dog's long tongue obscured his vision as Interceptor frantically licked his exposed face.

Using his good hand to shove Interceptor off, Shadow sat up again. Only to have the breath driven out of him once more when Relm threw her brightly colored form at him, colliding with and latching onto his chest.

Looking up into his surprised foggy blue orbs, Relm said, "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

He started to grumble something in reply, but was interrupted by a violent coughing fit as his body tried to expel the small amount of blood that had made its way into his lung.

"Let go," he gasped between coughs. When Relm complied, Shadow was able to draw enough air in to fuel several deep racking coughs that cleared his lung of the last traces of blood.

"I said I wouldn't let you be alone," he growled, "I intend to keep that promise."

"Good!" Relm cried as she threw her arms around him yet again, "Because if you left, I'd, I'd," she struggled trying to put her feelings into words, "I'd really, really miss you." Totally not what she meant to say, but it was the best she could come up with on such short notice that didn't sound sappy and babyish to the extreme. Besides, Shadow would know what she meant. He always seemed to know things.

With a rasping chuckle that could have been mistaken for a rattling exhalation Shadow looped his good arm around Relm's shoulders and tightened the hold for just a second.

Yes, he knew.

={====

Drawing her eyes away from "her" children for just a second, Terra just caught sight of Relm as she threw herself at Shadow for the second time. That the assassin did not pull away was puzzling to say the least; Terra had been under the impression that he did not like being touched. But when the cold, distant, detached, emotionless killer slowly wrapped an arm around the young artist's shoulders, it was all Terra could do to keep from crying out in astonishment. Removing her gaze from the shocking sight, she looked around at her family, her children, still clustered around her, then back at the unusual duo.

_Perhaps . . . I am not the only one who has learned about "Love."_

{====

_Sorry about the short Humbaba battle, but it worked out better for Relm and Shadow to be left out of the main part of the conflict. That way the rest of the group was distracted and they were able to have their little bonding moment. Did you people get the reference back to an earlier chapter? (Hint, chapter 5) _

_With Strago gone, Shadow is becoming Relm's paternal figure. But . . . what would happen if Strago were to miraculously be alive??? Would Shadow be ousted from his place in Relm's affections? We all know Shadow's not too fond of Strago, if he had a choice, would he let the old man rejoin the group? Perhaps we shall see in upcoming chapters . . ._


	11. No connection whatsoever

_Dang . . . it's been way too long! In any case, I'm still alive and I'm back with a vengeance! Sorry for the delay. I've actually had this chapter in mind for months . . . _

_ Thanks to __**TitleContreven **__and __**Skykhanhunter**__my loyal reviewers! You guys are the best!_

_ I don't own FFVI, but I'm working on it (step 1. Catch a leprechaun. Step 2. Convince Square Enix to sell the rights in exchange for the leprechaun's pot of gold Step 3. . . .). I also make no money from this fanfic, if you have paid for it, sorry for your loss._

&*&*&

Shadow watched as Relm held her hand out flat, palm facing the floor, and then slowly curled her fingers at the first knuckle. Interceptor immediately crouched to the ground and began crawling across the carpet in the Falcon's main gathering area.

"I got it!" Relm cried happily, "Teach me some more Shadow!"

The dark assassin shook his head. "I think Interceptor has had enough of this foolishness." He snapped his fingers and the big dog trotted over to his side.

"But it's not foolishness," Relm pouted, "you said so yourself that he's as well trained as he is because you've continued to practice the commands."

Twisting his own words against him . . . Shadow shook his head again, this time in disbelief. Gods that girl! Only eleven years old and already able to outsmart _everyone_ she encountered. He most certainly did not envy the boys that he was sure would fall for her in another five years or so.

"Fine," he growled. Relm squeaked happily and skipped over, bending down to give Interceptor's head a good scratch while looking up at Shadow expectantly. He held up his hand at waist height and made a fist. He sharply flicked his wrist and opened his hand as he did so.

Relm watched him intently. "What's that command for?"

"It's the 'Charge' command. You flick your wrist in the direction of the enemy you wish Interceptor to attack." Leaving the girl and dog, he moved to the other side of the common area. "Have Interceptor come at me."

Shadow was asking her to make Interceptor attack him? She tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow at the assassin. He crossed his arms and waited. Oh well, she _guessed_ he knew what he was doing. She snapped her fingers to get Interceptor's attention, and when those dark brown eyes were fixed on her she gave the 'Charge' command. Interceptor looked curiously at Shadow, then back at Relm.

"Do it again," Shadow instructed.

"He's not going to attack you," Relm insisted.

Shadow allowed himself a smile behind his mask. "Just do it."

With a dramatic sigh Relm gave the command again. And again Interceptor looked at his boss, then back at her. The confusion was evident in the big dog's perplexed gaze. He gave a questioning woof as his eyes settled on Relm.

Damnit, this was embarrassing! What was she doing wrong? _Nothing_, she thought, _there's no way in hell Interceptor is going to attack Shadow_. But, stubborn as always, she had to keep trying. Locking eyes with the black and brown canine she did her best to look stern and serious.

"Interceptor," she said slowly to get his attention, "Charge." She flicked her wrist at Shadow again. The effect was stunning. Interceptor immediately sprinted across the common area and launched himself at Shadow's chest, paws connecting with the unwary assassin and sending him tumbling to the floor. Not willing to actually attack his boss, Interceptor settled for sitting on his abdomen to keep him pinned down.

Shadow couldn't believe it. His dog, his one true friend, trusted that _girl_ enough to follow orders that went against his nature! He had never in a thousand years expected Interceptor to _actually _charge him! From the stunned silence across the room, he surmised that Relm didn't expected it either.

The slam of the hatch opening above them broke the spell and sent all three scrambling to some position that would be considered "normal." Or at least, that's what Shadow did. Shoving Interceptor off his chest he sprang to his feet and positioned himself in the nearest dark corner, leaning back against the wall to make it seem as if he had been there watching his dog and Relm play the whole time.

Setzer came down the ladder first, followed by the Figaro twins, Cyan, Gau, Celes, and finally, Terra. The whole crew was strangely quiet, most days re-entrance to the Falcon entailed boisterous shouting as people all struggled to be the first to tell their version of what had transpired to those who remained behind. But today, everyone's faces were drawn tight and their lips sealed shut. The party radiated a multitude of emotions, from Setzer's look of painful disbelief to Cyan's mask of dark sorrow.

"Hey guys!" Relm chirped. She could feel everyone's distress as clearly as Shadow, but figured that the best way to find out what was wrong was to cheer someone up enough for them to talk. "So how was that tower full of crazy loonies? They didn't try to steal your souls or anything, did they?" Her attempt at a joke did more than fall flat. It did several somersaults down a few flights of stairs then tumbled into a deep dark pit before impaling itself on the spikes placed at the bottom.

Setzer totally ignored her, instead making a beeline for his quarters and slamming the door behind him. The Figaro twins at least _tried _to smile, but quickly excused themselves to the kitchen. Of the others, not one of them even cracked a grin. She expected this from Gau, Cyan, and Celes, Gau still hadn't quite figured out the art of sarcasm and the two former commanders just weren't all that in tune with their comic sides. But it was odd for Terra not to react; she normally had a pretty decent sense of humor.

"Is anyone going to at least tell me what is going on?"

Cyan and Gau crept off, the dour Doman muttering apologetic excuses, leaving Relm and Shadow alone with the two female warriors. Terra smiled sadly at the young artist.

"It is nothing Relm," she said, "The Tower of Fanatics is just a truly depressing place. We were all greatly affected by it."

Celes nodded to back up Terra's statement, "It is a good thing you did not come."

_Liars_, Shadow thought as he watched the two women speak. The body language of the entire group, never mind the inflections in their voices, practically screamed that there something much more serious that a depressing place affecting everyone's moral. He had opted out of visiting the Tower because, if the tales were true, the only danger there was boredom as you watched multitudes of mindless Kefka obsessed clones pace back and forth day in and day out. If he was not needed, he would just as soon stay on the ship. He wasn't quite sure why Relm stayed. Perhaps she had come across the same sorts of stories in her travels. Or maybe she had simply wanted to spend time with him, as she had told the departing group.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that last reason.

&*&*&

Later, Shadow entered the galley, Interceptor at his heels. The tiny place was full to the brim, with Cyan and Celes seated at the tiny table, Terra squeezed into a corner by the stove and the Figaro brothers sitting precariously atop the narrow counter that ran along the wall. When he came in, the hushed conversation came to a swift halt.

He allowed the silence to continue as he looked at each one of them in turn with his foggy expressionless eyes. Not one of them would meet his gaze.

"What happened in that Tower and why don't you want to tell Relm?" he growled.

Curiously Terra was the first so speak. "It's," she said softly, "it's about Strago."

Shadow's eyebrows rose in a silent question. What did Relm's almost certainly dead grandfather have to do with anything at all? The girl was not stupid; she _knew_ that the chance of her grandfather actually being alive was about as likely as Kefka deciding to give out candy to the orphans of Mobliz. As for his view on the subject, Shadow could honestly say he did not miss the meddling old geezer in the least. He had never liked the man. Even back when . . .

Enough of that. "If you're worried about telling her he's dead, don't," he growled, "she knows the odds and has excepted it."

"But that's just it," Edgar said despondently.

"He's not dead," Sabin finished, "he's one of _them_."

The assassin was floored. _Not dead? Strago not dead?_

"'Tis true, Sir Shadow," Cyan responded, his blank, hopeless eyes boring holes in the small table, "We tried everything. But for naught."

"He didn't recognize us," Celes clarified, "We talked to him, stood in front of him, heck, Sabin even punched him! But he just kept on walking, muttering prayers to Kefka."

Terra looked at him apologetically. "We know how much Strago meant to her. We thought it best if she . . . didn't know. You understand, don't you?"

Shadow simply stared. They could read nothing at all in those strange foggy eyes. Then, without a word, he opened the door and walked out, leaving them in silence.

&*&*&

_We thought it best if she . . . didn't know_.

Was it best? Since the meeting with the others Shadow had been sitting on the top deck of the Falcon, watching the sun go down. He needed to be alone, to sort out his thoughts. Thoughts on what the others had said, thoughts on the disagreeable old man, and, most importantly, thoughts on Relm.

He couldn't deny his growing affection towards the scrappy young artist. Affection that she, gods know why, returned! Shadow knew what happened when you got attached to people. They hurt you and they left you. They made you feel. Emotions got in the way, ruined concentration, and hurt worse than the deepest stab wound. He thought he'd done a grand job of getting rid of his.

Until _she_ came along. First it was anger, then fear, then concern, and now . . . care. She had weaseled past his defenses with her smart mouth and pretty hazel eyes, and . . . dare he even think it . . . into his heart. He _knew_ it would hurt to lose her. Just like he _knew _that he would rather die than cause her any more pain.

"What is wrong with me Interceptor," he groaned to the big dog curled up at his feet, "I had it all figured out. Kill and get rich. And now . . . well, that's all gone to shit."

And what should he do about that blasted old coot? For all he cared, the old bag of bones could stay in that fancy excuse for an asylum till he keeled over and died. But, to his chagrin, Shadow found he wasn't concerned with only his own opinion anymore. He was thinking about Relm's as well. What would she do if she found out that he knew Strago was alive and didn't tell her? The answer hit him in a flash.

Her heart would break. She trusted him, trusted him enough to shed all the confident shields she erected and act like the hurt lonely child that she was. If he betrayed that trust and kept from her the person she cared about more than any other . . . It would destroy her. Hell, it would destroy _him_!

_Knowing could destroy her too._

True. If Strago was as bad as the others described, then maybe it was better off if Relm thought him dead. But if there was even the slightest chance . . .

_If the fool does come to his senses, you'll lose her anyway_.

Again, true. Only with Strago gone had Relm latched onto him so strongly. Why she hadn't attached herself to Cyan (gods know the blasted Doman _needed_ something to take his mind of his own sorrows) he did not know. But in any case, even he was not dense enough to deny that he was filling the role that Strago had held in her life. Before the old coot's absence he had just been the man in the shadows with the big dog. What was to say that if Strago returned he would not be demoted to that role again?

"If so, good riddance," he snapped angrily, getting to his feet so quickly that he startled the dozing Interceptor, "I was becoming too close anyhow."

&*&*&

"Come on baby, don't do this to me. Come on now, turn over and it'll all be smooth sailing."

Setzer ran a hand lovingly over the control panel of the Falcon, flicking a switch here, pulling a lever there, the whole time listening to the engine grind and groan under his feet. He followed his creed: when in doubt, adjust the settings and speak to the ship as you would a woman.

The ship rumbled and lifted a few dozen yards off the ground.

"That's it darling, that's my girl!" he said smoothly, taking a firm grip on the helm, "Come on, just turn that belt over and we'll be up and away!" The ship shuddered and rose a few more yards. But under the floorboards an awful screeching noise was emerging. He could tell what was wrong just by the noise. Things like this had happened every now and then on the Blackjack, whose engine (though he was loath to admit it) had not been nearly so well designed as the Falcon's. Sometimes the problem would fix itself. But sometimes . . .

The screeching became louder and the Falcon began to lose altitude.

"No, no, no baby, don't give up, come on now, come on!"

But his pleading was in vain. The Falcon's nose dipped and she dropped like a stone, hitting the ground with a jarring thud.

"GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH SHIP!" Setzer howled as he smacked the helm. This was one reason he much preferred his airship to a woman. You could talk sweet and baby her, and then when she disappointed you, you could swear and cuss her out all you wanted without fear of reproach. The same could not be said of the female species.

Half an hour of screamed profanity from the engine room later, Setzer emerged to glare at everyone assembled in the common room. The majority of his silver hair was covered with a dark greasy substance, presumably the same substance that covered his hands and face. Surprisingly, his precious coat was spotless.

"Somehow," Setzer snarled, "a set of screws on the airo-levi belt system have come lose and gone missing. Without those screws the belt slipped off and got tangled in main engine gears, which consequently shredded the belt which I consequently DO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT FOR!"

With the exception of Edgar, the entire team stared at the irate gambler with looks of confusion. Setzer sighed and composed himself.

"For all those who are not mechanically minded, this means that we will not be flying tonight, no matter how much we wish to get away from that gods forsaken tower. This also means that I shall be up for the majority of the night TRYING to find a way to FIX MY BLOODY AIRSHIP! So, DON'T DISTURB ME!" With a swish of his coat Setzer retreated into the engine room and slammed the door shut.

"Jeez," Relm muttered as everyone started to slowly return to what they were doing, "what a weirdo. I give him two years."

"Two years for what?" Terra asked curiously.

Relm gave the half-esper an _are you kidding_ look. "Till he has a coronary and dies."

"Oh . . ."

&*&*&

He crept through the ship, marveling at the fact that the gambler had managed to stay awake until now, and even continued to curse articulately. To think, so much damage from a few missing screws . . . Moving quickly, Shadow padded down the hall, stopping in front of the last door on the right. He didn't want to alert anyone else to his presence so rather than knock, he silently let himself in.

"Relm," he hissed to the form curled on the bed. She answered him with an inarticulate mutter.

"Relm," he hissed again, "get up."

She sat up and slowly rubbed her eyes. "Shadow?" she asked groggily, "What are you doing here?"

"Get up and get dressed."

"Why?" she yawned.

Shadow ground his teeth in irritation. "I need to show you something."

The young artist glared at him sleepily, "In the middle of the night."

"It's almost dawn. And yes."

Once she was out of bed and rummaging around for a clean set of clothes Shadow left the room. Relm emerged a few minutes later, still looking very much asleep. Without a word, Shadow started off towards the ship's common area, and once there, to the hatch that lead to the outside world.

"Where the hell are we going," Relm muttered, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes as they exited the Falcon, "And where's Interceptor?"

"He's staying behind," Shadow answered. _Making sure no one follows us_, he added silently. As soon as his feet hit the dirt of what had once been the Serpent's Trench Shadow set off at a fast walk towards the nearby Fanatic's Tower.

"Slow down," Relm protested.

Shadow's only reply was to lessen his pace by the smallest of margins. When Relm fell in step with him, he dared to glance over and read her face. She wasn't happy.

"You woke me up before dawn to go see the loony bin?" she muttered incredulously.

Shadow shrugged.

"This had better be worth it or I am _so_ painting every single one of your shruikens bright yellow with pink polka dots as soon as we get back."

He made a note to himself to hide his precious weapons before the vindictive artist could get her hands on them. For, as he and the other learned, when Relm made threats that involved paint, she had absolutely no trouble carrying them out. Such as the time Sabin woke up with his face a mirror image of Kefka's over make-uped visage for mocking Relm's height. Or when she had painted Edgar's normally intimidating chain saw neon orange with yellow chocobos frisking along the blade in retaliation for calling her a "pretty little miss" one too many times.

At the quick pace Shadow set, it didn't take them long to come to the courtyard of the Tower. It was as people described, a dark, depressing place, filled with lines of men and women shuffling back and forth. The only sounds was the garbled words coming from the fanatic's lips, their "praises" to the great Lord Kefka.

At the sight of the pacing lines of humanity, Relm seemed to come fully awake. "It's . . . They're . . . kind of pitiful, really," she said softly. Shadow grunted in response and continued to scan the crowd with his foggy blue eyes. _Where was that old coot?_

There. A flash of red. He focused on the spot of color. It was a cloak. A tattered, red, stiff collared, old fashioned cloak.

"Come with me," he growled, "Stay close." He didn't trust these fanatics in the least, no matter what the traveler's tales said. Putting a hand protectively on Relm's shoulder he forced her to walk by his side as they wove through the steadily pacing lines toward that spot of red. It didn't take her very long to notice the splash of color in the sea of drabness and soon she was just as focused on it as Shadow.

The dark assassin halted a short distance away from the cloak wearing fellow's pacing line. They were within easy sight of the red garment, but because of the high collar it was impossible to tell what the owner looked like until he turned around. But even so, Shadow was sure it was him. The cloak, the posture, the shuffling gait were all glaring signs as to the man's identity. And then, he, along with the rest of his pacing line, turned around.

Relm's breath caught in her throat as she beheld the wizened face of her Grandfather. It couldn't be, but at the same time it _had_ to be. She could never mistake him! The only thing that was different were his eyes; they lost the spark that Relm knew and loved as the very spirit of her beloved grandfather.

"Shadow," she managed to whimper, "Please, is that, oh please."

Putting a hand on each of her shoulders, Shadow crouched down to her level. "Yes," he said gently, "it's him."

Relm let out a strangled half sob and looked over his shoulder at her shuffling, oblivious grandfather. "Did the others know?"

He could not lie to her. "They did," he said, "They tried to speak to him, but he was dead to their attempts. They did not want to upset you."

Trickles of tears were leaking unchecked from the corners of Relm's eyes. "Why did you show me?"

Was she angry? Upset? Would she have rather thought her grandfather dead than known he was a slave to the worship of the man who destroyed the world?

"Because," Shadow rasped as he shamefully turned his head away, "I thought you deserved to know."

She slipped out from under his hands and threw her arms around him, burying her tear streaked face in his shoulder. "Thank you," she said into his stiffened muscles under the black body suit, "thank you so much Shadow."

Abruptly she pulled back and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her sleeve. "Stupid old man," she muttered, "giving up like this. And to worship KEFKA of all things!"

Shadow could see the anger building behind Relm's now shining eyes.

"If he was going to give up, why didn't he do something dignified? Like, go on a one man crusade and get himself killed trying to take on the big crazy single handedly. Not BOW DOWN TO HIM!" she continued to rant. She suddenly stormed past the still crouching Shadow, a look of utter determination plastered on her face.

The dark assassin shot to his feet and put a retraining hand on Relm's shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She shrugged his hand off and continued her forward course. "I'm going to get my grandfather back!"

He let her go. If anyone or anything could put light into that old man's dead eyes, Shadow harbored no doubts that it would be Relm.

Storming up to the old man, she stopped in front of him and planted her hands on her hips. "Come on now you stubborn old bag of bones. Snap out of it!" she practically shouted.

Amazingly, the dead eyed man that used to be Strago stopped. He looked down at the furious girl and slowly, ever so slowly, recognition came over his features.

"Relm!" he gasped, "Relm, is it really you dear?" When what he had at first thought to be another of his hallucinations did not disappear, Strago practically fell forward to engulf her in a tight embrace. "You're alive?!"

Still _very_ angry, Relm jerked out of her grandfather's arms and glared at him accusingly. "Grandpa, you idiot! What were you thinking?"

Now it was Strago's turn for tears to streak his wrinkled face. "Oh Relm . . . I was sure you were . . ." he whispered faintly.

"Did you really think I was going to check out before you, you old geezebag? Ha-ha-ha . . ." but Relm's joke, and her forced laugh, were only feeble means of trying to keep up her rough and tough image while tears, this time tears of happiness, were starting to seep from her eyes again.

"Still as foul mouthed as ever, bless your heart!" Strago laughed.

"Come on Grandpa," Relm grabbed Strago's hand and pulled him to his feet, "You're coming along with the rest of us!"

Strago followed gamely, all the weight that had been dragging him down for the past year and a half had disappeared, making him feel positively young again. "Whoa. Well, I'll be . . .!" he said with a smile, "All right . . . I guess I can't be leaving everything up to you whippersnappers!"

Shadow watched as Relm gave her grandpa a friendly punch to the shoulder, only to be subject to a series of mock threats as the old man berated her for disrespecting her elders. Shrieking with laughter, Relm darted away, weaving through the oblivious fanatics, her suddenly spry grandpa hot on her heels. They were taking a roundabout route to the exit of the Tower's courtyard, so Shadow was able to cut across and reach it long before they did. When their path finally did take them to where Shadow was standing, Relm shocked the both the dark assassin and her grandfather, when she shot behind Shadow's legs, using him as a human shield. Strago barely managed to skid to a halt in front of him.

The old man looked at Shadow warily. In the excitement of seeing Relm, he had neglected to notice the assassin's presence. And he was most definitely _not_ comfortable with his granddaughter practically playing with the killer! To his credit, Shadow did nothing to intimidate the old man, save stare unblinkingly with those expressionless foggy eyes.

And then Relm poked her head out from behind the dark assassin to stick her tongue out at her thwarted pursuer.

"Ahem, Shadow," Strago began somewhat nervously, "It seems as if my daughter is using you to shield her from my wrath."

". . . It would seem so," Shadow replied.

"Well, unless you have somehow become her personal bodyguard in my absence . . ."

The dark assassin turned his head to glance down at the little imp who was continuing to make rude faces at her grandpa from the safety of his shadow.

"Nope," he growled, "no connection whatsoever." With that he turned and leapt, soaring over Relm's head. He was running when he hit the ground.

Strago let out a triumphant laugh while Relm screamed in indignation. Once more having to race away from her pursuing grandfather, Relm yelled, "Shadow! You're dead! You hear me! DEAD! YOUR REPUTATION WILL BE RUINED!"

There was one more shriek behind him, then anything else that Relm would have said was turned into howling laughter. Shadow continued to run. It felt good. Because this time, he was not running away.

He was running to hide his shruikens.

&*&*&

_ I forgot how much FUN writing young Relm is! You see, one of the reasons I haven't updated in so long is because I got the inspiration to work on a longer work, set in the future when Relm is twenty-four. It's tough to write her with a more mature attitude, but still keep her acting like Relm! By the way, the fic will be called __Shadow Knight__ (shameless plug, shameless plug), look for the prologue and first chapter soon! I think . . . I hope . . . Anyone wanna beta read a FFVI crossover? _


	12. Friend?

_ Alrighty, this chapter has been giving me so much bloody trouble. . . before this I started two other versions (both totally different) and it just wasn't working. So, after way too long, here we are. I'm gonna say we're about a week after Strago's return (sorry, I tried doing a chapter where you'd see his reunion with the crew, but it just wasn't working). Perhaps those two starts of chapters shall make it in during later revisions of the fic. _

_ Okay, MASSIVE thank you to TitleContreven who wrote the new, improved summary for this fic. After reading his, I realized how much mine sucked, so THANK YOU for letting me use yours!_

_ And another thank you to Skykanhunter, pharoh, TitleContreven, Varanus, and Anitsmurf Lord of Darkness for reviewing my last chapter._

_ Don't own FFVI, don't make money from this fanfic._

&*&*&

Everything had gone as planned. The old geezer was back. Relm was happy. And best of all, since the geezer's return, Relm had stuck to him like glue. It was perfect. She no longer followed him about, asking this or that about his weapons, Interceptor, what he thought of the weather, would he teach her to fight, was this drawing of Cyan realistic enough or did it need to be more depressing, was his real name actually Shadow, and jabbering on about every other little thing that popped into her head. It had gone. . . exactly. . . as. . . planned.

He sighed beneath his mask as he watched Relm and her grandfather in the snow below. Perched on one of the narrow ledges in this maze that eventually lead to the peak of the mountain that housed the most lucrative of Narshe's mines, he couldn't see much; only down the short corridors of rock to their left and right. But he could watch the interactions between Relm and her grandfather.

Jealous.

_I am not._

Laughter drew him out of his thoughts and brought his eyes back to the . . . family . . . below him. Relm was packing the snow into balls and tossing them for Interceptor to chase. Blasted mutt. As fine a dog Interceptor was, he never had much experience with the game of fetch and was having a difficult time of catching the balls before they landed and merged with the snow coating the ground. But when he did succeed, Relm and her grandfather would let out burst of laughter as the big dog's jaws slammed shut over the missile, causing it to explode in a puff of white around his muzzle. If Interceptor's lashing tail and high flung head were any indication, he was having the time of his life.

_It is better this way._ He looked away, back down the vacant corridor of the maze. _It will only take time . . . then I will stop caring and everything will be as it was. _That was all he wanted. For everything to be as it was. Killing and fighting. Getting rich if he was lucky. No one to think about except himself and Interceptor. No demon-gods, no being a hero, and **no** Relm. No friends, no family, just himself, Interceptor, and his nightmares. With any luck, the nightmares would disappear eventually as well. They had only returned when he had joined up with these people anyway, so when he left them all behind they would go away. Right?

Something hard and cold thudded into his right hip, breaking apart and leaving a smear of icy white against his black body suit. He looked down.

"Shadow!" Relm yelled, "Come down here and play a game with us!" She had another snowball in her hand and looked ready to toss it if he didn't do as she said. He snorted. Him? Play a game? That was not happening any time soon. But she was looking at him with those pretty hazel eyes.

_Look away! Let her use those damn eyes on that grandfather of hers!_

She dropped the snowball and put her hands on her hips. "I have the Ifrit magicite and I know how to use it, so if you don't come down I'll just have to flush you out with some fire!" After a moment of thought, Shadow leapt to the ground. He told himself it was an act of self preservation, not compliance. Not bending to the will of those pretty eyes

Once down he forced himself to glare at her, but remained silent. Relm chose to ignore his look, flashing him a smile and skipping over to the cliff face he had just came down from, picking up a handful of snow and using it to draw a crude target face. Curiosity got the better of Shadow and he stole a glance at the old man standing scant yards away. Strago was staring at him warily, keeping one gnarled hand wrapped around his staff.

_That's right, fear me. I could kill you a thousand different ways without leaving this spot old man. And I wouldn't hesitate to do so if you weren't so important to Relm._

"Okay, here are the rules of the game," Relm chirped, bouncing back to the two men, "we throw snowballs and whoever hits closest to the center of the target wins! If Interceptor catches the ball in flight than that's too bad for you because that means you missed."

While Strago grumbled about being at a disadvantage because of his age and Relm made up piles of snowballs, Shadow crossed his arms and stepped back. He would **not**__stoop to playing games with little girls and their geriatric elders! As Shadow moving away, he could not help but notice Strago trying to act as if nothing was wrong as he positioned himself between him and Relm. Of course the old man didn't trust him. He _was_ a heartless, emotionless, killer by his own admission after all.

The snowballs finished and separated into three piles of six, Relm stood up and said, "I'll go first, then you grandpa, then you Shadow." Without waiting for an answer, she picked up a ball and tossed it, hitting the target surprisingly close to the center.

The assassin was surprised to say the least. _She has m-. . . a good arm._

Strago went next, still making sure to keep himself between his granddaughter and Shadow, and, predictably, missed by a mile. His good natured oaths and Relm's laughter were enough to bring the smallest of smirks to Shadow's face.

"Now you go!" Relm had grabbed one of the snowballs and, to her grandfather's horror, had dashed over and offered it to Shadow. The assassin shook his head.

"I don't play," he said with a sneer.

When he made the mistake of looking down at her, Shadow could have sworn that rather than anger or indignity, Relm's eyes shone with disappointment. And to his surprise, she did not threaten him. Instead she just said very softly, "Please, Shadow?"

Snatching the snowball out of her hand, he whipped it away as hard as he could. It hit the center of the target and exploded on impact, leaving large white stain on the rock face. When he dared look back at Relm, the disappointment in her eyes had changed to delight.

"Great throw!" she cried, "Now I have to beat it!"

As she darted back to her own pile, Shadow could only shake his head and sigh.

_What have I done?_

&*&*&

Nine snowballs later, Shadow was the clear winner even though he had yet to move from his spot and was as such throwing the icy projectiles from nearly double the distance of the other two.

"You know," Relm stated as she studied the remains of the target, "I don't think you had enough of a handicap."

"Would you have rather I thrown blind?" Shadow asked sarcastically. What did Relm expect? He was an assassin whose specialty was projectile weapons; did she really think she or her grandfather even had a chance?

The young artist's face twisted into a slightly unnerving smile. What in all hell was she thinking?

"Nooooo," she said innocently, "I think you should have had to throw at a different target. Something like this!" She whipped out her paintbrush in a practiced motion and made a few quick motions in the air. A small rabbit like creature appeared in front of them and began to run in a typical zig-zag pattern down the corridor.

This would be too simple. Bending down, he scooped up a handful of snow, packed it into a tight ball. His arm swung back and he shifted his weight onto his left leg before moving to step into the throw. But just as he was about to do so, something hard slammed against the back of his head, throwing the entire movement off balance. The snowball left his fingers and splattered harmlessly against one of the cliffs, allowing Relm's rabbit to escape unscathed, darting around a corner as Interceptor dashed after it; determined to catch the creature his boss had allowed to get away.

His hand reached up to rub the spot where he had been hit. It came away wet . . . with snow. He whirled around, only to be assaulted by Relm's howling laughter and Strago's look of shock. Forcing himself to take a deep breath he growled out, "You cheated."

_And I should care why?_

Relm stopped her laughing and, gods be damned, stuck her tongue out at him! "So," she challenged, "what are you going to do about it?"

What was he---! Impudent little-

Strago must have seen the threatening change in Shadow's posture, because he rushed forward and started to reprimand Relm, conveniently placing himself between the assassin and his granddaughter yet again.

"Relm!" he scolded, "That was unsporting and uncalled for! And utterly disrespectful! I thought you knew better, but it seems like-"

"But Grandpa," Relm tried to interrupt.

"-you still don't know when enough is enough!" Strago continued as if Relm had said nothing at all. Shadow saw what the old man was trying to do. He was trying to punish his granddaughter first, so that the terrifying assassin she had wronged would not take it into his own hands to do so. Fool. Did that old man actually think he would hurt the girl?

_Two years ago I would have._

"Come on, it was just a joke," Relm protested.

But her grandfather would have none of it, "It was nothing of the sort! That was a deliberate attempt to provoke someone-"

"Enough Magus," Shadow's quiet rasp shut Strago up as well as any Silence spell.

The dark assassin began to walk, no, _stalk_ towards them. "Your granddaughter raises a valid point," Shadow growled, "What am I going to do about this?"

Strago gripped his staff tightly and moved into a defensive stance. It looked utterly ridiculous in Relm's opinion. What was her grandpa worried about anyway, this was Shadow! Shadow wasn't . . . well okay, he was _very _dangerous. But not to them! They were allies for gods' sake! And besides, Shadow was her friend. Although she had been sort of ignoring him since her grandpa's return . . .

"What am I going to do," he muttered cryptically, "What am I going to do?" Shadow continued to circle them with the smooth, predatory stride and a strange gleam in his eye. Closer and closer he spiraled, until Strago could have reached out and hit him with his staff if he chose to do so.

But before any of the three could make a move, a hail of booming barks sounded from somewhere else in the maze. Shadow halted his prowling and tilted his head to better catch the sound.

"It's a warning," Shadow said finally. Strago and Relm looked at him curiously. "There is something else in here," he growled, "And Interceptor just caught a sign of it."

Ice, high altitudes, narrow cave-like corridors. As he ran over the facts in his head, Shadow silently started to curse himself. Plenty of prey, no humans to contend with, clear sight of the sky but in an area where anything that flew down would be hampered by the lack of space. Damnit, why hadn't he seen it before! He drew his blades and sank into the shadows of the cliff face, making his way towards Interceptor's barking as quickly as he dared. The others? They could get eaten for all he cared now. It had been _her_ fault he hadn't noticed this in the first place! Damn distractions.

Never again. Never, never again. This just proved his point . . . that everything would be better if things just went back to the way they were.

"Shadow?" came Relm's questioning voice. He ignored her.

"What are you doing?" Strago snapped, "_What_ is in here? Get back here dang it!" He ignored him too.

But he could not ignore when they rather noisily followed him. And most certainly could not ignore the old man's gnarled hand reaching out to grasp his arm. At the touch he whirled around to glare down at the geezer. But for once, Strago showed no fear.

"What. Is. Here" Strago barked; his stiff stance reminiscent of the strong young man he must have once been.

"Dragon," was his curt reply. When both Strago and Relm started to sputter their disbelief, Shadow cut them off with a curt snarl. "If you want to live, get out."

Before they could react to his statement, Shadow started off towards the barking again. He had given them the information to save themselves, which was more than what he had planned on. Let them do with it as they will.

Strago started to say something, but his words turned into a strangled yell when Relm rushed past him and grabbed the dark assassin's hand. The idea of tearing himself from the girl's grasp and disappearing into the maze never to be seen again crossed Shadow's mind. Until she spoke.

"You're getting Interceptor, aren't you," she stated. Turning his head the slightest bit to the side, he could just catch sight of her pretty hazel eyes. He nodded.

"And you won't let me go with you." Another statement. Again he nodded.

"Then you're a damn fool!" What?! "You don't have nearly the magic that Grandpa and I have; I don't think you even know the Fira spell! What would happen if _you _ran into the dragon?" He started to answer but was promptly interrupted as Relm _poked his chest_ and continued her rant. "You'd _die_, that's what would happen! And don't give me any shit about being the best assassin in the world because that doesn't matter if you're frozen solid! I assume it's an ice dragon, because no other dragon would want to live somewhere this cold. But even if it's not, dragons are always weak to _some _type of magic and even if by some slim chance it wasn't you'd still need magic because _no one_ can go up against a dragon _on their own_ and expect to come out unhurt! Without Cure spells you'd die halfway through the fight!"

Shadow shrugged, "Then I would die. What does it matter?"

The statement made Relm physically flinch backwards. But she did not let go of his hand. "What does it matter?" she practically whispered, "What does it matter?!" As she continued to speak her voice began to grow. "How the hell can you throw your life away so easily? I'll tell you why it matters! _It matters because you would be dead!_"

_And is that really such a bad thi-_

"And you promised me you wouldn't let me be alone."

Shadow flicked his gaze towards the old man, whose eyes seemed to have bugged out to twice their normal size at his granddaughter's revelation. "Your grandfather is back," he growled, "You're not alone."

Those pretty hazel eyes did a dramatic role as Relm scoffed, "And what do you expect me to do when _he_ kicks the bucket? I need you around when that happens you know." The old man let out something that sounded strangely like a chocobo's squawk. And to tell the truth, Shadow was close to doing the same. As it was, he could feel the blood leeching from his face under the blue dye as he paled.

_What have I done?!_

&*&*&

She knew she had been a little extreme when she brought up the eventuality of Grandpa dying, but damn it all, Shadow had just made her so upset! Did he really think his life was worth so little? Did he think that no one cared. . . In any case it got her point across because _both_ men almost up and had heart attacks on her! And Shadow let them follow him. Or at least . . . he made no move to stop her when she fell in step by his side once the shock wore off and he began to move again. Nor did he say anything to her Grandpa when he scrambled after them.

As the crept through the rocky maze, Relm retreated into her thoughts. She may have tried to pass it off as a joke just minutes before, but the thought of losing her Grandpa again truly terrified her. What was worse . . . she knew it could very well happen. She had realized a lot during the events of the past year. The world was not a fair place. Good people died and bad people lived. No one, not even her Grandpa, not even her, was invincible. You could trust no one to be there forever . . . because everyone would die.

She was certain that she had lost her Grandpa forever. It had hurt and it scared her so bad, but she didn't let anyone see. She had to be tough, just like everyone else. But not even she could do that all the time and when she finally broke down it was Shadow who was there to hold her up and tell her she didn't have to be afraid of being alone anymore. Shadow was the strongest of them all; as close to invincible as a person could get. If anyone could keep their promise to be there, it would be him.

And to tell the truth, out of everyone else in the crew -her grandfather excluded- there was no one else Relm would rather have there for her. Gau, Edgar, Sabin, and Terra were fun, Setzer was a jerk but he meant well, Celes and Cyan were kind and protective, but none of them treated her like Shadow did. They still thought of her as the little girl of the group, despite everything they had gone through together. Shadow treated her differently; almost like an adult sometimes. He was the one who showed her Grandpa, even when the others thought it would cause too much pain. But he was also willing to let her be a child and cry into his shoulder when things got to be too much. Somehow, Shadow just understood her.

Interceptor let out a few more barks. From the sound of it, he was in the rocky corridor parallel to the one they were in now. But even though they were so close, Shadow made no attempt to call the dog to them. Relm figured he did not want to draw the attention of the dragon he believed to be in the maze. But, wouldn't Interceptor's barking have gotten its attention already? The assassin's body suddenly tensed. He held the position for a moment, every muscle as taunt as a drawn bowstring, then suddenly dove to the side, grabbing a handful of Relm and her Grandpa's clothing to drag them with him. As the three fell in a tangled mess, a blast of ice shot down the corridor through the space they had previously occupied.

Shadow struggled free of the other two and let out a piercing whistle before leaping to a ledge above their heads. From that ledge he leapt again, bounding over the almost sheer cliff side towards the source of the attack.

Scrambling up, Relm grabbed Strago's hand and tugged him up, "Come on Grandpa!" Still keeping hold of her grandfather, she dragged him in the direction Shadow had gone. They did not have to go far. Waiting at the crossroads of five corridors was the creature Interceptor had been warning them about. It was not large as far as dragons go, even wingless ones, but what it lacked in size it made up for in speed and aggression. Relm could see that Shadow was pushing himself to his limits to avoid the dragon's rapid fire mix of physical and elemental attacks, not even pausing to throw a shruiken.

Being so distracted by the annoying black clad human dodging every one of its attacks, the dragon did not notice Relm and Strago's presence until the flames of two Fira spells simultaneously crashed into its side. The beast bellowed at the sudden pain and whirled towards the new threat, only to be hit with a flurry of shruiken as soon as its attention turned.

Springing over the dragon's thrashing tail; Shadow dragged his blades over the beast's unguarded haunch. The dragon's scales prevented him from causing a huge amount of damage, but the attack served to confuse it even more, allowing Relm to launch another successful Fira spell. Suddenly seeming to realize the futility of trying to hit the assassin, the dragon began to focus all of its attention on the two mages. Rearing its head back, the dragon was about to let loose with another blast of ice when a black and brown blur sprang from another corridor and slammed full force into the side of the dragon's skull. The force of Interceptor's blow turned the head aside, and rather than send the ice at Strago and Relm the dragon released it harmlessly against a cliff face.

Now that Interceptor had joined in the fight Shadow was able to attack the dragon much more effectively, using the same technique he had for the Ultima Weapon he dragged his blades over the dragon's body, opening a shallow wound which Interceptor would then deepen with his powerful jaws. Now the dragon was not only burned, but bleeding from several deep wounds scattered over its flanks.

"Yes!" Relm cried as Shadow threw another shruiken at the dragon's head, the small weapon burying itself just behind the creature's jawbone. But to her dismay, this was the last straw for the angry dragon. Completely ignoring Relm and Strago, it focused all of its attention on the dark assassin, swiping and snapping in such a way that Shadow was forced into a corner.

When Shadow felt the cold stone against his back, he knew that unless he could get a solid barrier up, he was done for. He reached for the Carbuncle magicite in his pouch, knowing that Reflect may not have been the best option, but it was his only hope. But before his hand was even halfway there the dragon opened its gaping jaws and sent a blast of air so cold that it froze the dark assassin to the bone. The only thing that saved him from the dragon's full wrath was Interceptor, who darted under the beast and began to attack its sensitive underbelly, distracting it from his frozen boss.

When the dragon moved and allowed Relm to get a glimpse of Shadow, who was literally frozen where he stood, her heart plummeted. _No,_ she thought, _no, no, no, NO!_ Reaching into her own pocket, she drew out the Ifrit magicite and, focusing all of her mental energy, summoned the spirit of the fire elemental from the crystal depths. Now, the esper was anything but stupid and needed no prompting to go after the ice dragon with a raging Inferno. Interceptor rocketed out from under the creature and into the nearest snow bank, rolling around to sooth his blistered skin. With the dog out of the way, Relm and Strago were able to bombard the writhing dragon with Fira spells until, under the combination of their magic and Ifrit's assistance, the beast collapsed in a smoking pile of charred meat and scales.

As soon as the dragon fell, Relm rushed past the smoldering corpse to the stiff form of Shadow in the corner. The assassin was frozen in a crouch, his hand halfway to a pouch he kept on his belt, and his eyes shut tight against the blast of air the dragon had cast at him. Even his clothing was frozen in midair and covered in tiny ice crystals. Relm cautiously reached out and touched his gloved hand; it was as hard and cold as stone, the exact opposite of what a human should feel like.

Interceptor and her Grandpa joined her, Interceptor whimpering and licking what little of his boss's face was exposed, while Strago tentatively prodded Shadow's frozen arm. He had heard that Ice Dragons were capable of doing such a thing, among Blue Mages like himself the ability was called Absolute Zero, but he had never seen the results of it before now. A blast of air so cold that it froze its target, literally turning the thing into a flesh and blood popsicle.

"Grandpa . . ." Strago looked down into the pleading eyes of his granddaughter. How was he supposed to tell her . . . companion . . . was more likely than not dead as a doornail? _If_ he could be thawed out, and _if _his internal organs somehow had not shut down, and _if _he had not suffered permanent damage from the freezing, the assassin would _still_ be stuck with a severe case of hypothermia and frostbite.

"Grandpa?" Strago sighed. Relm's unasked question and eyes that looked as though they may be beginning to tear up struck the softer side of his heart, making him realize that despite the awful odds (and the idea that Relm would be _much_ better off without the assassin), he needed to at least try. He got Relm to step away and take the assassin's mutt with her, then cast a simple Fire spell over the frozen body. To his absolute shock, when the flames receded Shadow's thawed out, _breathing_ body slumped to the ground and began to shiver violently.

After he had shut his eyes against the dragon's blast, there was nothing. Now that nothingness was exchanged for a deep feeling of cold and the receding numbness in his muscles was being replaced by pure agony. As his muscles gave out and sent him to the snow covered ground, he wasn't sure if he was shivering from the cold, the pain, or both.

The spasms that wracked the dark assassin's body were the only thing giving Strago and Relm any hope. If he could shiver, than his body hadn't surrendered yet.

A gentle hand on her shoulder caused Relm to swing her head around and look into her Grandpa's deep brown eyes. "He'll be okay, right?"

Strago glanced down at the shuddering assassin; he could scarcely believe the man was alive even now! "I don't know, my dear," he replied honestly, "for him to even have a chance, we have to warm him up." Before he could comment again, Relm had jerked away from him and was unfastening her cloak.

"Cyan told me that the ground leeches heat from bodies," she said as she pulled the thick garment off her shoulders and laid it on the ground next to Shadow, "So we should get him onto this."

"But-," Strago stammered, "Put that back on, you'll freeze!"

Relm glared at him and put her hands on her hips, "NO! I won't freeze because you're going to take off your cloak too, then you, Interceptor and I are going to sit with Shadow and you are going to use your cloak to cover us up! That way everyone will keep each other warm!"

Through the haze of cold and pain clouding Shadow's mind, he could vaguely hear Relm and Strago arguing. He wasn't sure what it was about, and right now he really didn't care. Right now he just wanted to return to the nothingness that the dragon's breath had induced. No pain, no cold, no thoughts, no memories, no guilt, no feelings. Just nothing.

Relm and Strago rolled the unresisting assassin onto Relm's cloak, then struggled to prop him into a sitting position. Once he was upright, Relm scooted close to his left side and called the worried Interceptor to come lay across his lap. Letting out a loud sigh, Strago unfastened his cloak and sat down on Shadow's right, giving one side of the red fabric to Relm so she could help wrap it around their little group.

She had always heard that when someone had hypothermia (as Shadow so obviously did) you could NOT let them fall asleep. So she did what she knew would make Shadow more irritated than anything else; she started asking questions.

"Where are you from, Shadow?"

_Where are you from? _

The familiar voices rolled around in his head, twisting so that he could barely tell one from the other.

"W-west D-d-doma," he mumbled between chattering teeth.

Though surprised as all heck that he had actually answered, Relm decided to press on. "What was it like?"

_I've never been there, what is it like?_

"It's a p-place you w-would r-r-rather b-be fr-from than b-be."

Relm's eyes widened. Shadow _joking?! _He didn't even do that when he was healthy! "Shadow, are you alright?"

_Are you sure you are okay?_

"Y-you ask . . . t-too many questions," he muttered, "W-what do y-you c-c-care about me a-anyhow?"

_Well, you're a human being. You deserve a chance to live just like everyone else, no matter what you did to obtain those wounds. _

Relm's head snapped back. "Jeez! I thought we already went over this! You promised me, damnit!" She heard her grandpa fidgeting uncomfortably on the assassin's other side, but Relm continued anyway, "Besides, you're my friend . . . why shouldn't I care about you?"

That comment broke the pattern. Only one voice said something like that, could say something like that. Trying to push aside the diminishing haze, Shadow forced his eyes open. What he saw would have made him jerk away in surprise, had he had any control over his shuddering limbs. "Wha-?" he said groggily.

"You know, friend. Frieeend," she replied to Shadow's half question, drawing the word out like Gau was prone to do. The dark assassin blinked slowly in response. Deciding that trying to explain to Relm that it wasn't the definition of friend he was unsure of but the reason as to _why_ he was in his current predicament was too much trouble, Shadow sighed and shut his eyes again. He was still shivering, but the pain and cold were gradually slipping away as his circulation returned.

Just as he was about to doze off, Relm's next question cut through him. "So, you're really from West Doma?"

Shadow jerked like he has been struck by a Thunder spell. _Wait, when did I . . . aw shit._

&*&*&

_ Again, sorry for the obscenely long wait on this chap. And I don't think it's even my best work . . . Next time will be, um . . . I'm going to ask you all what you think. Here are your choices- The Zone Eater, Deathgaze, or Cyan's Dreamworld. _

_ The line "A place you'd rather be from than be" is not mine. It is a line from the song Chalahachee (sp?) from the musical Honky Tonk Highway. A great musical, I'd highly recommend seeing it if you get a chance._

_ Some clarification- they are in the mountains of Narshe, and Shadow volunteered to stay behind with Relm and Strago while some of the others went with Mog into the caves to get Umaro. _


	13. Better than the Alternative

_Sorry yet again for the delay. Due to a combination of a death in the family, work, and family health issues that have made me take on more of the tasks of running our family farm I have not been able to write very much at all. I WILL try to do better when things calm down._

_Well, a whopping majority of -drumroll please- three people said Cyan's dream world should be next. So, here you go!_

_**WARNING- this chapter deals with some extremely delicate issues that I hope I have handled with enough care; namely suicide. I have taken this into consideration when writing and have written this chapter so that if someone does not wish to read it because of the content it will not affect their understanding of the story as a whole.**_

_ Thanks to __**necrophiliac666**__, __**Skykhanhunter**__, __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__,_ _**missiongirl87**_, _**Sotwt Icehail**_, _ and __**Varanus**__ for their kind reviews of the last chapter. You guys rock! _

_ I do not own Final Fantasy VI nor do I make any money from this story. _

_0000_

It actually made Relm's chest ache as she watched Cyan run his hand over the crumbling remains of Doma Castle. This had been more than his home; this place and its people had been his whole life. And it had all been taken from him by a madman who valued life no more than he valued the dirt they walked on. His calloused hands caressed the stones reverently, as if he was holding the hope that his touch could restore all that was lost. But of course that was impossible. Doma Castle was no more . . . a pile of rubble that would eventually be erased by the maraudings of monsters and the wind.

It had been only a few days since Gau had declared he desired to train for a few days on the Veldt and both Mog and the yeti Umaro decided to accompany him, Terra and Celes felt this would be the perfect opportunity for the rest of them to check in on the children of Mobliz. They had all been rather shocked when Cyan quietly asked if Setzer could drop him off at the ruins of Doma Castle. The depressed warrior avoided the subject of his homeland at all times, even going so far as to leave the room when others brought it up in conversation. His memories, and the pain they brought_, _were still as fresh as the fateful day nearly two years earlier when Kefka poisoned the river which the residents of Doma Castle used as their sole water source.

Dropping their companion off was no problem for the gambling pilot, as he assured the quiet warrior, and Setzer promptly retreated to his cabin to make flight plans that would take the Falcon past Doma Castle on their way to the Veldt. Not long after Cyan's question, Relm saw Sabin take Shadow off to the side and have a quick conversation with him. When they returned, Sabin let everyone know that he and Shadow would be accompanying Cyan on his excursion- if the warrior did not mind. Cyan had no reservations, and in the space of a few minutes Relm decided that she would be coming as well. She had never seen Doma Castle and was quite curious, even if it was only ruins. Besides, Shadow was going and she had made herself a promise to spend some more time with him and Interceptor! She didn't want them thinking she would neglect them just because her grandfather was back!

Taking out her sketchpad, Relm began to record the image of the ruins on the paper. The place still had a kind of quiet dignity about it, something that deserved to be preserved in a painting. But for right now, a quick sketch was all she could do. She was just putting the finishing touches on the sketch, complete with an outline of Cyan walking along the outer wall, when she heard her grandpa come up behind her.

"Relm," he said, "we're going inside."

000

The five of them, Sabin, Relm, Strago, Interceptor, and himself, kept far enough away from Cyan so that he could have his privacy, but always kept him within their sights. Sabin had thought it best that Cyan not go back alone, and felt that he and Shadow, being the ones who had been there in the initial aftermath of Kefka's atrocity would offer their friend the most comfort, simply by virtue that they had just the slightest of a better understanding than the others. And watching Cyan now, Shadow could most certainly see that Sabin's hunch had been correct. He didn't even try to hide the pain on his face as they wandered through the castle halls. But Shadow had to give him credit; he didn't cry. His eyes were dark with sorrow and anguish radiated from every aspect of his body, but there was not a trace of tears.

Sabin had been worried that Cyan might attempt suicide. It was not as out of the ordinary in the Doman culture, nor was it looked upon as poorly as it was in other parts of the world, but the young monk was aghast at the idea that someone would voluntarily take their own life. In his mind there would always be and should always be something in the world that one could live for. He did not understand the painful emotions that could wrench someone apart, make them pray for death, and curse the gods when they woke up every morning still breathing. Shadow knew. If Cyan decided to take his own life, that was his choice. In truth, the dark assassin would commend him for it; if it came to that, because it was something that he had not had the courage to do himself.

They had barely spoken a word since leaving the airship, even their resident chatterbox. Relm was silent as she walked a little ways away from the group, picking up debris that looked interesting or running her hands along the stones. Shadow stopped to watch her for a moment as she cleaned off a strangely shaped thing she had pulled from a pile of rubble. As the dust and grime was wiped away, the thing revealed itself to be the twisted remains of a child's toy, a miniature train modeled after the ones that ran on Doma's railroads- the country's pride and joy. Shadow's sharp hearing caught a stifled sob coming from the young artist and he watched as she wiped a grubby sleeve across her eyes, leaving a streak of dirt dampened with tears. Interceptor was already on his way to comfort the girl, but just as Shadow thought to follow, Strago appeared and enfolded Relm in a hug.

Gazing at the trio before him sparked a simple thought in the dark assassins mind. _There is no need for me here_. Shadow turned his back to the little family behind him, instead moving down yet another deserted corridor. From the muffled voices that followed him he could tell that Sabin had stopped his constant surveillance of Cyan to join in comforting the young artist. _Yes, no need for me here_. He picked up his pace and soon left the voices behind.

Slowly wandering the halls, Shadow was taken aback by how profoundly _alone_ he felt. It was not just the absence of Interceptor or the others, but the stark emptiness of Doma Castle that struck a chord somewhere inside of him. There was no life, no connection with anything at all. Years ago Shadow had tried to sever his connections with _everything_ but found that despite his best efforts, he could not. Hence, Interceptor. It was one of the things that irked him whenever he examined himself; it was a weakness.

_You fear being alone._

"I dislike it," he growled softly, more to break the all encompassing silence then anything.

_You fear the emptiness._

"Dislike," he growled again.

_You fear yourself._

Shadow struck out at the stone, slamming his fist against the unyielding wall. "I do not."

_You have made yourself empty and you fear the emptiness. You don't have the courage to face being truly alone, just as you don't have the courage to kill yourself or those you are close to! _

"I worked through that," Shadow snarled.

_Did you? _

As he was about to pound the stone again, the familiar sound of a blade being pulled from its scabbard caught his attention. Instantly on guard, Shadow dropped to a crouch to listen for more clues as to where the blade wielder was. After scant seconds of listening, Shadow picked up the noise of loud, ragged breathing: something he should have noticed as soon as he entered this hallway. Creeping forward, Shadow brought himself alongside the doorway he determined the person was located behind. Now the breathing was interspaced with muttered words. _Doman_ words.

Shadow slowly pushed open the door and entered the large set of rooms. The furnishings were in disrepair, but mostly intact. Ahead of him Shadow could see the remains of a small kitchen, just the right size for cooking meals for a family of three or four. A dilapidated chest sat in the corner, its contents long looted by Imperials during their occupation. But the majority of the space was taken up by a living area. There were two beds, one for a child and another large enough to fit two adults comfortably. Between the beds was a chest of drawers with a broken vase and the dried husks of several flowers strewn about on its top. And sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the chest of drawers was Cyan. The Doman's eyes were dark with sorrow, as they had been since their arrival, and his posture was that of a man who has been completely broken, beaten down until there was nothing left. But what really drew Shadow's eye was the naked blade laid out over Cyan's knees.

The swordsman suddenly stirred, turning his head towards the doorway.

"Shadow?"

The dark assassin simply nodded. Cyan returned his gaze to the katana in his lap, slowly running his hand up and down the blade. There was no need for an explanation; Shadow knew perfectly well what was going on behind those dark eyes. Rather than speak, Shadow moved back to the door, quietly shutting it and throwing the deadbolt. If taking his own life was the way Cyan chose to end his pain, he deserved to be able to do so- without interruptions by idiotically noble warrior monks.

"I am naught but a coward, Shadow," Cyan said, still not looking up from his blade. Shadow's only reply was to settle down to sit cross-legged opposite the Doman and wait for him to continue.

"Elaine . . . Owain," Cyan murmured, partly to himself, partly to the watching assassin, "How I long for them . . . yet I cannot execute the one act that would reunite us!" In a sudden show of frustration Cyan threw the heavy katana away so it clattered on the stone floor. He took his head in his hands and, for the first time since seeing his wife and son ride away on the Phantom Train, allowed the tears to come.

"The pain," he sobbed, "the pain is so great . . . I understand not how my heart does not stop from it! Without them it is as if I am empty . . . my soul died as they did . . . nothing but pain. Why could I not have died with them? Why?"

There was nothing that Shadow could say. He knew that no words or actions could ease this kind of pain . . . nothing could. The only way he knew to stop it was to cut it out in its entirety, and as such destroy everything else that made someone feel. _That_ was true emptiness. _That_ was a dead soul. That was him.

Shadow slowly stood up and moved to where Cyan had thrown his sword. He picked up the heavy weapon and, after running his own hand down the blade a few times, placed it within easy reach of its wielder. He had no right to influence Cyan in this decision, but as he turned to walk back to the door he could not help saying what was on his mind.

With his back to his tortured companion, Shadow began to speak. "I don't respect very many people, Cyan. But you lived with this pain for close to two years . . . you have more courage than anyone I know. You may feel empty, but you are not. Their memories are still with you . . . and the pain that they cause. Your soul, your emotions, they fill you with sorrow . . . hurt . . . anguish. To face them day by day as you have, that takes a strength that few possess."

With a black gloved hand Shadow slid the deadbolt back and opened the door.

"Gods know I didn't," he whispered as he slipped out, gently shutting the door behind him to allow Cyan the privacy to determine his own fate.

000

As soon as Relm saw the dark clad assassin striding down the corridor, she race to him and gave his arm a playful smack.

"Where were you?" she said with a grin, "We thought you got lost and got attacked by another behemoth or something!"

It was all a ruse. She _had_ to act happy, _had _to act normal or else the profound impact of what had happened to this place would overwhelm her again. Cyan, Sabin, Grandpa, even Interceptor were all sobered by Doma Castle. And she'd be willing to bet her entire set of paintbrushes that behind Shadow's impenetrable mask he was deeply affected as well. She had to be strong for them. If she could make them smile then maybe everything would be a little better.

But Shadow saw through her illusion. Maybe it was the way her throat choked up a bit as she talked or how the muscles in her face trembled when she tried to keep up a wide smile. In any case, rather than answer her question, Shadow simply put a hand on her shoulder. Even when they silently made their way back to Sabin and her Grandpa, he did not break the contact. Relm was no expert at reading body language, certainly not of a person as mysterious as Shadow, but she thought that through the simple gesture Shadow was trying to say something he wouldn't or couldn't with words.

_Nothing about this situation is or ever will be okay. But I'm here. I'm here with you and I'm not going to leave._

At least that's what she _hoped_ he was telling her!

0 0 0

The franticly pacing Sabin pounced on them as soon as Shadow and Relm came into sight.

"Shadow, you didn't see Cyan, did you?" he asked. The only answer he received was silence. Relm peered up at her walking companion, curious to see if she could notice anything in Shadow's eyes that might give reason as to his silence. And to her surprise, she did. The assassin's normally unexpressive foggy eyes (which, if she wasn't mistaken, seemed to be getting a little clearer lately) directed a look of contempt, possibly laced with a little anger, towards Sabin.

"Come on, Shadow," Sabin barked, his voice betraying his nervousness, "You and I talked about this. Now can you _please_ tell me if you know where Cyan is?"

"No."

The monk's face paled. "_NO?_" he yelped. If the atmosphere hadn't been so deadly serious Relm would have laughed at how flustered the normally unflappable Sabin was getting.

"No," Shadow repeated.

"But-but, I, we, gah!" Sabin stuttered, "He could be-, why won't you-, goddamnit, what's your deal Shadow!"

Her Grandpa apparently knew more of what was going on then Relm did, because he jumped into the conversation with his own half question. "He didn't . . . ," Strago said nervously, shooting a glance at Relm, "Did he?"

What in all hells were they talking about? Relm _hated_ to be in the middle of something and not know a bloody thing that was going on! All she could glean was that whatever it was had something to do with Cyan.

"Would someone mind filling me in on what you are all talking about?" she huffed indignantly. Sabin and her Grandpa exchanged nervous glances before both starting to tell her is was nothing she need concern herself with (which obviously meant that it was something they just didn't want to tell her). She would be getting nothing out of those two . . . not without some serious pestering. But the emotional turmoil of the day left her in no mood for her normal tactics. Instead she just turned her full attention to Shadow, whose hand had not yet left her shoulder, and let her eyes repeat the question.

He understood why the others wished to keep Relm in the dark on this subject. She was only twelve years old. But she had experienced much more than any twelve year old should; it was much more than enough to make someone grow old before their time. Still, he had to deal with the other, practically hysterical, companions first.

"Cyan has the right to decide his own fate," Shadow rasped in a low, commanding tone; a tone that left no room for interpretation, no room for disobedience. "And neither you, nor anyone else, have the right to take that from him."

Both Sabin and Strago stared at him. He could see the cogs working in their heads and, surprisingly, Sabin seemed to be the one to accept this statement first. The young monk slumped forward, defeated, and sighed.

"You're right, Shadow. I'm going to go to the old infirmary. If Cyan . . . if he wants to, he'll find us there." He shuffled down the corridor, halting at the door to the old infirmary to turn around and call back, "You coming Old Man?"

The 'Old Man' gave a start, stuttering his reply, "But Relm-"

Sabin interrupted with a snort and rolled his eyes, "The little spitfire is in good hands. Come on."

_Good hands, _Shadow thought, _he thinks __**I'm **__good hands._ After a few more moments of indecision, Strago finally followed Sabin into the infirmary, leaving Shadow, Relm, and Interceptor in the silent corridor.

"Well," Relm piped up, "Are you going to enlighten me?"

She was one of them. She deserved to know.

"Come on," he growled, "Let's walk."

0 0 0

They had walked in silence for almost five minutes and Relm was starting to get antsy. But, for all that he tried, Shadow could not think of an easier way to tell her than by saying _Cyan wants to kill himself._ Was there any way to break something like this in an easy way? Could the news be made even a little softer?

No, he decided. This was tough stuff and nothing could be done to make it any better. But maybe . . . maybe he if he could make her understand first.

"Do you remember you mother and father?"

It was easy to tell from her reaction that Relm had not been expecting a question like this. Her eyes got a sort of distant look in them, and she almost seemed to shrink a little when she answered, "Yes, a little bit."

"And do you miss them?"

"Of course!" she snapped, halting in her tracks to glare at him. Oh gods, this was going to be harder than he thought.

Harder for him.

"Did it . . . hurt after they were gone?" he asked, knowing full well what she would say but dreading hearing the answer anyway.

"I already told you this!" she replied, "I was afraid, and alone, and Grandpa was all I had left! It felt like I had a hole in my chest I missed them so much!" Much more softly, she added, "I remember the hurt better than I remember them . . ."

Shadow felt something in his own chest wrench and had to turn away. He _could not _allow this to affect him! Sensing his boss's distress, Interceptor moved to his side and nuzzled Shadow's limp hand, that simple comfort giving Shadow the strength to continue.

"Right after your parents were gone, you would have done anything to be with them again, wouldn't you?" She didn't reply, but he could imagine her nodding.

"Now imagine that pain, but a hundred times worse. That is what Cyan is feeling now… has been feeling since Kefka brought death to this place. And he _can_ be with his loved ones again… if he-"

Relm's sharp gasp let Shadow know that she had gotten the message.

"He- he wouldn't . . . would he?" Relm whispered.

Keeping his eyes trained on the stone wall, Shadow replied, "He might."

Suddenly Relm was at his side, silently leaning against him like he was a human pillar. She was afraid, he realized. Afraid to lose another person she had come to call a friend. Afraid to lose what little security she must have in this ruined world. There was nothing stable in this life for her anymore. Cyan had always been there, unchanging and steady as a stone. He was a constant, and if that was taken away, what could she count on?

"Shadow?" Relm whimpered. He looked down into her trembling hazel eyes. _I'm here girl, I'm here._ "Why is death the only way to stop the pain?"

Shadow found that he could no longer meet her gaze. Looking away, he fixed his eyes on the tattered remains of a tapestry portraying a noble warrior of ages past performing heroic deeds. Fearless heroes like that were the things of legends, not reality. In reality men bent and broke, the pain of living tore them down till only the strongest were able to carry on. The strongest . . . or the most cowardly. Not strong enough to live with the agony living had become, but fearing the one thing that could give relief: Death. He had killed his own emotions to avoid it. If he could not feel, he could neither hurt nor fear.

For his life, he had sacrificed his humanity.

"It is not," he began, "but sometimes . . . it is better than the alternative."

_0 0 0_

_ Part II will come as soon as possible. _


	14. Interceptor and You

_ I've kept you waiting long enough, I'll not delay any longer._

_ A huge thanks to all my wonderful reviewers- __**Varanus**__, __**The 666**__**th**__** Necrophiliac**__, __**Sotwt Icehail**__, and __**Hopeless Romanticist **__and my beta, __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__. And thanks to all those who favorited the fic and put it on story alert. I'd love a review from you all too!_

_ I don't own FFVI or its characters, though I wish I did. I also make no profit from this fanfiction._

0 0 0

A tear trickled down his battle worn face, getting caught in his moustache for a moment before dripping down to splash on the cold steel of his blade. He ran a finger over the cutting edge, pressing down just hard enough to split the skin. _So easy_, he thought as he watched the blood and tears mingle. _One stroke . . . only one . . ._

He could not do it. Every time he hefted the blade something stayed his hand. Dying would be so simple, so effortless. He would have no need to feel pain or grief anymore for he would be with his family again. But . . . what had he done to deserve that? He had failed. Failed his home, failed the world, and failed his family. He was nothing.

_ . . . I am not worthy of peace._

Very slowly, he sheathed his blade. While his mind was elsewhere his hands went through the practiced movements of unbuckling his sword belt and wrapping it in a figure eight around the sheath, as if he were simply putting a practice weapon away after a bout of sparring. Taking his shield from where it was propped against the wall, Cyan lay it down on the floor and then balanced his sword across the shallow depression it made. He had no right to use a shield bearing the device of a home he failed to protect . . . he had no right to wield a Doman katana- a hero's weapon. He was no hero.

He was nothing.

0 0 0

The creaking of the infirmary door's rusty hinges drew Relm out of her fragmented dreams back into reality. She cracked her eyes open and watched as Cyan, swordless and shieldless she noticed, shuffle into the room. He took in the sight of his companions, his gaze moving from the loudly snoring Sabin to her Grandpa, with his staff held tightly even as he slept, to Shadow, whose hand hung over the side of the bed to rest on Interceptor's back, to her. Then, not even taking the time to remove his boots, Cyan crawled into an empty bed and quickly sank into unconsciousness. It shook Relm, seeing him like that. Beaten down. In agony. _Destroyed_.

When they all woke up, she decided as she drifted back to sleep, she would give Cyan a hug. She would try to be there for him to help the pain of his loss heal- just as her grandfather had done for her. Because if Cyan felt anything at all like he looked . . . Relm could see Shadow's point about death being better than the alternative. And she had just gotten her friends back; she could not lose them again! Not if she could help it!

0 0 0

_Interceptor sat on the edge of the bed, staring him down. Gods, did he hate dreams! If it wasn't his past haunting him, it was his present tormenting him! Shadow sat up and met Interceptor's intense gaze._

_ "What is it this time boy," he growled, "Going to lecture me about how I treat my weapons better than the people I know? Or is this about what I did back in-"_

_ "Why are you talking to your dog?" Shadow leapt from his bed and spun around, coming face to face with a very curious Sabin. The young monk's outline was hazy, just like everything else in this dream, but his voice was strong and the inquiring look in his eyes was unmistakable. _

_ "This is a dream," Shadow replied, "Interceptor talks to me in my dreams." _

_ "Hmph, he never talks to me when I dream about him!" Now Relm was invading his dreams? As if her presence did not torment him enough during his waking hours! Out of the corner of his eye Shadow saw Relm hop off her own bed and make her way over to his. "Hey Interceptor," she said, "Can you speak? If you can, can you tell me what Shadow looks like without his mask? Because I'm really curious and I know hell will freeze over before Shadow takes off his mask in front of anyone but you!" _

_ But, to Shadow's relief, the only answer Interceptor gave was to wag his tail and roll on his back to ask for a belly rub. While Relm complied with the dog's silent request, Shadow took a moment to scope out the setting of this dream. Odd. Aside from Strago's absence and Cyan's presence in a formerly empty bed, things were exactly as they were when they had gone to sleep. Colors were washed out and shapes were blurred, but other than that the infirmary looked exactly the same._

_ "Pretty dull dream," Sabin commented after taking a look around the room, "In my dreams there are always plenty of monsters to beat up. How about you, Relm? What do you dream about?" _

_As Relm was opening her mouth to answer the door to the room silently opened, admitting three boys, none of which appeared to be older than ten. Watching the boys skip over to stand beside Cyan's bed, Shadow could only blink. This was turning out to be one hell of a strange dream . . . _

_ The others seemed to be having similar thoughts about the boy's appearance, Sabin cocked his head to the side while Relm's brow furrowed in confusion. But Interceptor… After only a moment of studying the boys, his hackles rose and his lips drew back. A rumbling growl started in his throat, quickly escalating into a snarl when the trio gave no evidence that they heard his warning. Suddenly the three boys looked up, locking eyes with their observers and jumping forward in unison. _

_ "I'm Curlax!" _

_ "I'm Laragorn!" _

_ "I'm Mobieus!" _

_The three of them jumped one more time and shouted, "We're the three Dream Stooges!__It was then that Shadow noticed a strange glint in the boy's eyes; something that was most definitely not human. In fact, the more he studied the apparitions, the more monstrous they seemed! Their heads were just a bit too big for their bodies, their faces were angular almost to the point of disfigurement, and Shadow believed he caught a glimpse of pointed teeth behind those pale lips. A predator's teeth. _

_ And we are the prey, he thought. But as he moved to draw Ichigeki, the boy's focus changed to the prostrate Doman before them. _

_ "This man's soul is ours!"_

_ "This man's soul is ours!"_

_ "This man's soul is ours!"_

_ No. _Cyan_ was their prey! _

_ "Tonight we dine well!"_

_ "Tonight we dine well!"_

_ "Tonight we dine well!"_

_ Leaping once more in unison, the boys seemed to hover over Cyan's bed for a moment before falling _inside him!_ Sabin and Relm shouted their disbelief, but Shadow just stared. Disturbing dreams were nothing new to him, the only thing one could do was to go with the flow and wait until they ended. That was the one nice thing about dreams … they always came to an end. A black blur arced through the air with an angry snarl, disappearing into Cyan's body just as the Dream Stooges had done. Damn dog. Before Interceptor's body had completely disappeared, Relm was already following the dog into whatever invisible portal the Dream Stooges had opened. Damn girl. And, of course, Sabin couldn't resist being left out of anything, so he followed as well. Damn monk. _

_ It was only a dream. He could just stay here; let them go on their little adventure. It wasn't as if anything could happen to them. But as Shadow stared at Cyan's slumbering body he could not help thinking that something about this dream wasn't right. He slowly started to pace back and forth. What did it matter? Even if something _could_ happen to Sabin and Relm, why should he care? He should not. He could not. They, especially her, __**were NOTHING! **_

_ But Interceptor … he was a different story._

_ Before he could argue against the idea Shadow acted, leaping up and doing as the others had done, falling into Cyan's body, into a brief darkness… _

0 0 0

The platform held steady under Relm's feet, though everywhere else was a whirl of shifting colors. Cautiously, Relm went to the edge and looked over, only to see more of the same kaleidoscopic shifting space. _It's like being inside one of those gemstones_, she thought, _opals, like the ones on mommy's earrings._ While she was watching the colors, wondering how she could paint such a scene, a dark shape appeared out of the corner of her eye. _Shit! _she thought, spinning around to confront the silent threat only to come face to face with a very happy Interceptor.

Her mouth moved to form the words, "good boy" . . . but no sound came out. Curious as to this new development, Relm sucked in a deep breath and shouted as hard as she could. The kaleidoscopic room remained as silent as the grave. Come to think of it, _nothing_ made any noise here! Interceptor's toenails should have clicked on the hard platform, her own footfalls should have made just a little noise, and she should at least be able to hear her own breathing! But there was nothing. It was as if she had suddenly gone deaf.

Wait a minute. _Was_ she deaf? The idea made her more than a little apprehensive- even if this was just a dream. It would really, really suck not being able to hear people talk anymore. And if she couldn't hear then Grandpa and the others would make her stay behind all the time because she wouldn't be able to tell when a monster came up behind her or any directions people were calling out or ANYTHING! She wasn't sure even Shadow would let her come along if she couldn't hear …

_Maybe there just isn't any sound in this dream_. As odd as that would be (she had never had a silent dream before) it was a heck of a lot better than being deaf! As an experiment, she put a hand behind her back and snapped her fingers. Interceptor's ears did not even twitch. So the dream _was_ silent. Relm sighed and shook her head- first the fuzzy infirmary with those weird Dream Stooges, now this silent colorful room filled with these platforms with no rhyme or reason to their placement and no way to get from one to the other.

_Well, what do I do now?_ In all the dreams she could remember things had just happened and she had always known what to do to go along with them. Even if those things were strange beyond reason, such as the time where she dreamed that Setzer needed her to help fix his airship and in order to do that she had to go to the Dragon Neck Coliseum and fight for the necessary part except when she went into the arena her opponent was Edgar and instead of fighting she played Rock, Paper, Scissors. But there was nothing _to_ do in this dream and no feeling of knowing _what_ she was even supposed to do! Perhaps she was just supposed to stay here with Interceptor until she woke up? That wouldn't be too bad.

Without any warning two images flashed across her mind in quick succession, one was of Sabin, the other of Shadow. Interceptor pawed at Relm's leg, then leapt away- the slight expanding of his chest made Relm think that he must be whining. Well, following Interceptor _was_ something to do.

_Okay, so I guess Interceptor and I are going to go look for Shadow and Sabin._ The instant that thought crossed her mind Interceptor's entire body language changed. His tail rose up over his back, wagging furiously, and he bounded away with his nose in the air as if he was desperately trying to find some sort of scent. Relm sighed. _Wait for me you crazy mutt!_ Curiously, Interceptor immediately stopped and spun around. Waiting for her.

Odd. _Sit._ Interceptor sat.

This was getting crazier by the second. _Lie down_. Relm felt a slight buzz of agitation as Interceptor lay down, but kept his muscles tense and ready to spring up at a moment's notice.

Okay, this was officially insane. _Stand up on your hind paws?_ The agitation from before changed to disbelief and a touch of anger. Instead of following the command, Interceptor jumped up and sprinted back to Relm, grabbing her hand in his jaws and pulled her in the direction he wanted to go. Another stream of images appeared these ones of Shadow and Sabin in various states of injury. _Okay, okay, enough! I get it; we're going to look for them!_ Satisfied that Relm was finally taking the situation seriously, Interceptor let go of her hand and galloped off- the young artist hot on his heels.

0 0 0

_Shadow? Shadow?_ Something gently shook his shoulder. _Shadow! Why isn't he getting up?_

Voices. Always voices. Shadow retreated further into his mind, hoping to find some respite from the voices of memory that haunted him, even though he knew it would be futile in the end.

_SHADOW! _The terrific blast of emotion shocked him into total awareness as it slammed through his mind like a berserk dragon, tearing down walls and clearing the paths that he kept so carefully sealed. Rocketing upward in surprise, Shadow didn't notice that he had sent Relm flying, didn't notice Interceptor rushing to his side, didn't even notice Sabin snagging Relm's shirt before she could go tumbling off the edge of the platform. There was a mangled mass of thoughts and feelings running through him and NONE OF THEM were his own!

He had to put a stop to this! HAD TO! He could not goddamn handle this! But the maelstrom going on in his head wouldn't even let him concentrate on a single thought of his own, never mind reconstruct even a part of the barriers it had taken him _years_ to put in place! What the HELL was this!

_StopstopstopstopstopSTOP!_ he desperately howled. It wasn't working. If anything, it all seemed to be getting _worse_. Now there was confusion. Why is he acting this way? Stop what? Too much. Can't do it. Won't feel. Something's wrong. Let me be. Alone, always alone.

As he stood, trembling, small hand closed around own. _Shadow?_ He looked down; meeting Relm's hazel eyes which mirrored the very emotions he was feeling. Fear, concern, confusion, relief- they were all whirling through him so fast that he was having trouble fitting names to them. _Shadow, are you okay? _

_No._ It was too much, too damn much! He certainly did not look okay! Seeing Shadow, fearless, invincible Shadow shuddering like a spooked Leafbunny was the opposite of okay! Sure, this whole communicating by thoughts thing was weird beyond measure, but terrifying? Well, he did talk about killing his emotions . . . maybe he just wasn't used to them? But that still makes no sense, someone can't kill their emotions. Shut them away. Yes, they could do that. But not _really_ kill them.

_Steady on there, Shadow. It isn't that bad._ Sabin strode over, keeping a wary eye on the distraught assassin; particularly the distraught assassin's hand which was wavering far too close to Ichigeki for comfort. _I think it's kinda cool. Imagine the kind of fighting we'll be able to do! Since we can sense everything we're all doing we can work off each other and-_

_ Get out of my head._ He pulled his hand from Relm's grasp and staggered backwards.

_But Shadow-_

_ OUT!_

He could feel their confusion, feel their fear. It was _his _fear. Everything was totally open- he was sure that if he tried he could force his way into their memories. Which meant that they could do the same to him.

_Shadow, _the way this came across, Shadow was sure that Relm would be whimpering if she had been speaking, _we can't._ The young artist actually seemed to shrink back a little as she revealed this to him. Fear. Her fear. He was scaring her. Like he should be, like he should have always been! He was an assassin, for god's sake! But she trusted him. He was her friend. Her very best friend. Best friend? Him?

_Hahahaha!_ Sabin's head was thrown back in silent laughter. _Of course you're her best pal, Shadow! You really didn't know that? Hahahaha! _

His flare of anger was enough to snap Sabin's mouth shut and make both Relm and Interceptor flinch. _Out. I want to get out of here._ How could he shield himself from all of their emotions until then? He hadn't felt this way while unconscious, maybe if he started manually shutting himself down . . .

_There is a door that way, Interceptor showed us._

_Let's go._

As they started to walk, Shadow's thoughts became more and more distant. No not distant. Faded. Dull. Relm could feel his presence in her mind, but it was as if there was a hazy cloud separating them. The cloud was disorienting, creating a forced fuzziness to both her and Sabin's thoughts. She glanced over at the assassin and was not surprised to find him moving as if sleepwalking, his eyes half closed, and his pupils dilated, gazing into nothingness.

They made it through the first door. And a second. And a third. But no matter where they traveled, it seemed like they were no closer to getting out. And now there were monsters. Dream beasts tracked them across the platforms- disturbing creatures that made their home in nightmares. The platforms were totally open, so in a normal situation it would be easy to spot and avoid them. But the cloud, Shadow's stupid, nonsensical cloud, dulled everyone's senses so they did not notice the monsters until it was too late.

A feeling of being watched was the only warning any of them had before something charged at them from behind, sending all of them flying. Relm pushed herself up from where she had fallen and turned to face their attacker, a midsized wingless dragon type creature, but lacking the intelligent look in its eye that typically characterized the dragon species. She frantically tried to cast a spell, any spell, but the haze was making her thoughts run slow. The best she could manage was to cast a simple Thunder in front of the beast, slowing its second charge just enough so Sabin, Shadow, and Interceptor had time to get up.

With the monk and assassin up and fighting, Relm thought the skirmish would be over quickly. Sabin rushed up to the creature to hammer its chest with his claws, but was brushed away by an almost careless swipe of the dragon's forearm. Shouldn't he have dodged that? A shruiken flew through the air and embedded itself in the dragon's shoulder. Shoulder? Why the shoulder? Shadow's aim was better than that! But when Relm spared a glance at the assassin, she saw he was fighting the same way he had been walking. He swung his sword like he was supposed to, threw his shruiken like always, but there was none of the drive behind his actions. The stupid idiot was on auto pilot! Why in all hells was he fighting like this!

_Shadow!_ Instead of a response, all Relm got was a static blur. _Come on, Shadow! FIGHT! _But if the assassin heard, he did not comply. He barely managed to dodge the dragon's clumsy strikes, and, even more surprisingly, instead of reflexively jumping to the side when needed, he did not move. Shadow _always_ ran when he fought! That was one of the things that made him so deadly- his curving blades could tear through flesh as he darted by so fast that he target had no chance of mounting any kind of counter attack. It was Sabin who fought in close combat, not Shadow! On the dragon's other side, Sabin had recovered and readied himself for another charge. . . only to collide with Interceptor as soon as he began moving. To Relm's horror, the two fell to the ground in a tangle of fur and muscle that was doing absolutely NOTHING to impede the dragon's advances on the sleepwalking assassin.

_SHADOW! _Relm howled. But again, there was no response save that horrible static. The dragon whirled around and knocked Shadow back with its tail, sending him flying across the platform. It started to approach the fallen assassin and . . . Shadow wasn't getting up! Wait, no, he was moving! But too slow, at this rate the dragon could eat him and pick its teeth with his bones before he managed to get upright again. _NO! _Focusing every bit of her concentration on avoiding the mental fog, Relm dashed into the dragon's sight range while building a Fira spell between her palms.

While two of its foes were busy untangling themselves from each other, the dragon turned to the only one of the four who seemed to be posing any kind of threat. With a silent roar it charged past the struggling monk and dog, past the assassin, straight for the little mage. The Fira spell exploded in its face, burning away enough of the sensitive flesh to ensure an eventual death, but not enough to stop it from raking its claws down the Relm's arm. The blow sent her reeling; she barely managed to notice that the creature had collapsed not too far away and that Shadow, who had finally risen, calmly walked over and ended its pain.

_Relm! RELM!_ A pair of hands clasped her shoulders and suddenly Sabin's worried face filled her vision. Why was he holding her up? _Can't stand. You're poisoned._ Stupid dragon. Now along with focusing through Shadow's stupid haze she had to try to think through poison too? Where was Shadow? There was a simmering feeling of rage when her thoughts turned toward the assassin, a feeling mirrored by Sabin's uncharacteristically dark look. _Steady now, I'm going to heal you up._ Her arm was encased in the silver light of Cura, which was quickly followed by Esuna. When she shook her head and looked up at Sabin (when had he put her on the ground?) she was greeted with a relieved smile.

_You okay?_

Relm rotated her shoulder and grimaced with pain. _You dunce! You healed the surface wound but not the muscle tear!_

He shrugged. _What do you want from me? I'm a monk, not a mage. _

_ Hmph. That just means I'll have to do it myself._

_You do that, _Sabin glanced over to where the body of the dragon had been. As soon as the creature had died its body simply disappeared- he figured it was a dream creature thing. But even though the creature was gone, a certain assassin did not move from the spot. A certain assassin that Sabin was very, VERY angry at! _I'm gonna take care of something._

He never saw it coming. One minute he was very comfortably entrenched in his mostly shut down mind, totally absorbed in himself and the floor. The dragon's body had been on the floor and now it was not. For some unknown reason this fascinated him. And then . . .

_I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, SO GET RID OF THAT STUPID BLOCK AND __**LISTEN!**_

Someone had taken a hold of both his shoulders and was _shaking_ him! But he barely noticed the physical discomfort. Much more worrying was the inferno of rage that swept through his mind, burning away his barrier and forcing him to the surface.

Once he felt the assassin reconnect, Sabin gave him a moment to take in his predicament. Then he drew back his right arm and hit Shadow across the face. His teeth rattled with the blow and Shadow could have sworn he heard echoes of his brain bouncing around in his skull! Even with his mask, that bloody _hurt_! But before he could recover to launch a counterstrike, Sabin reached out and grabbed his chin, twisting his face so they were staring eye to eye.

_What the HELL were you thinking! _Sabin's angry voice reverberated through him. _Your damn mental fog was making us all screw up! _

Shadow really didn't see a problem. Sure, they had a little trouble taking the creature down, but they had done it. And aside from a little bruising of his ribs and a few slight scratches he could see on Sabin's arms it didn't look as if anyone had been hurt either.

The anger coursing through him became even more intense. _N-not hurt too badly, _Sabin stuttered in rage, _NOT HURT TOO BADLY! _Sabin jerked Shadow's chin up so hard that the assassin had to rise up on his toes to keep his neck from wrenching back. There was no stuttering now, only unfiltered fury. _I don't care if you want to retreat into la-la land whenever we're walking, but damnit Shadow, come out when we have to fight! You nearly got us all KILLED! Did you even see how close the thing's claws came to Relm's neck! _When he answered in the negative, Shadow suddenly found himself watching what Sabin must have seen. Six inches. If the dragon's claws had gone just six inches to the left …

_I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her,_ Sabin said, the sobering message causing the anger to abate just a bit,_ it would have slit her throat right open._

Six inches. Only six inches. Oh, gods … The assassin slumped in Sabin's grip, his mind going entirely blank. _Shadow? Gods be damned Shadow I told you not to-_

Shadow looked up and locked eyes with the monk. _You're wrong boy._

_What do you mean I'm wrong! You WOULD have gotten us killed and you WILL if you pull that stunt again!_

_No. _Forcefully reaching up and pulling Sabin's hand away, Shadow looked over at the little artist who was checking Interceptor over for injuries. Six inches . . . and . . . Turning back, he locked eyes with the still angry monk.

_That swipe wouldn't have slit her throat, _he whispered,_ it would have taken her head off._

0 0 0

No matter what he felt rushing through his mind, Shadow did not retreat into himself again. At first he walked around like a beaten dog, shrinking away and flinching at any changes the others made in their mental states. But as they continued to travel through the dream, entering door after door only to see the same expanses of platform and changing space beyond Shadow found that he began to get used to it. To his chagrin he found that Sabin's assumption about this connection augmenting their fighting ability to be correct. Knowing exactly where your allies were and what they were doing at all times allowed them to build off each other and fight as a single cohesive unit that could cast magic, slam with its fists, tear flesh with its fangs, and rip through muscle with a blade simultaneously. The next creature they came across barely lasted a minute against their combined might.

The stretches between monsters were the worst. With nothing to occupy everyone's thoughts, they inevitable did what thoughts and emotions normally did: ran wild. The three of them found that the best way to reduce Shadows (and therefore their) discomfort was to occupy themselves with meaningless conversation.

Relm skipped ahead of the two men then did a neat little turn to face them. It hadn't taken them long to run out of topics to speak of that Shadow was comfortable with, and the "silence" was starting to make him jumpy again. Someone had to do something, and gods know Sabin wouldn't be the one to do it!

_Come on, let's play a game!_ Both men let out deep groans, Shadow bringing a hand up to rub his temple. He _hated_ Relm's games! Not once had they ever lead to anything good . . . WHAT was this? Her games were good games! For that Shadow would have to go first!

_Hrrgh. _Shadow continued to rub his forehead through his hood and allowed his irritation to flow to his companions, but made no attempt to resist. He knew Relm. There was no getting out of this. _Do your worst girl_.

_Okay then_, Relm giggled, _show us something impressive!_ Something . . . impressive? Like what? Stand on your hands, juggle your shruiken, swallow a sword, whatever you want! Images of him performing the aforementioned actions like some sort of trained dog flashed across his mind. _Ha … haha… _The hand covering Sabin's mouth did nothing to mask the amusement Relm and Shadow could clearly feel through their mental connection. The assassin directed a nasty glare in his direction, but it did nothing to dispel his poorly hidden mirth. Relm was smiling too: she would be, it had been HER mind that supplied the images!

_Fine_, he grumbled, stepping up so that he was directly in front of the irritating artist. _I'll do a trick with a shruiken. _He waited for Relm's expectant smile before adding his condition. _But you have to give it to me._

Have to give him a shruiken? Her lips turned down in a confused frown. Shadow had shruiken of his own- not to mention that she didn't have a single one! Sure, she had _tried_ to covertly take possession of a few of his, but as soon as her grandpa caught her tossing the things at a homemade target painted on the wall of the room they shared in the Falcon, that was the end of that. Frustrated and confused, just what he had hoped for. What ARE you doing? Slamming down on the voice that was so obviously his own, Shadow actually opened up and let Relm's tangled feelings rush through him. He grinned.

_I don't have any shruiken! _

Black clad shoulders gave a slight shrug. _Then I won't be showing any "impressive" feats anytime soon._

Not fair! All's fair in love and war. But this is neither, so that doesn't count! Relm put her hands on her hips and glared up at the assassin. _Oh, yes you are!_

_Only if you can give me a shruiken._

_I don't HAVE any!_

Shadow's head cocked to the side and one of his eyebrows rose in a silent question. _Are you sure? _ Beneath his mask his grin was unconsciously widening.

_YES I'm sure! Why in the name of magic would you think I had-_ Damnit all, Relm could feel Shadow's smile- it was so damn big that it couldn't be called just a grin anymore- growing as he stepped up to her, reached a hand beside her head, just behind her ear, and-

PULLED OUT A FRIGGEN' SHRUIKEN!

Pretending to ignore Relm's dumbfounded look, Shadow rolled the weapon back and forth across his knuckles. _I told you._ Her jaw dropped, and her pretty hazel eyes looked like they were now the size of teacups. It wasn't that he had seemingly pulled a shruiken out of her ear, Grandpa had done the same sort of thing with coins to amuse her when she was younger. It was that he was SHADOW and he had just resorted to sleight of hand party tricks! The idiot monk's face was a larger parody of Relms, and his thoughts were remarkably similar as well. SHADOW … performing PARLOR TRICKS?

The two of them looked so ridiculous … standing there gaping like fish out of water … Shadow felt something building in his gut, something that was getting larger and larger the longer he stared at his companions. The feeling rose to fill his chest, expanding it to the point where he thought it would explode. That's right. He was the great assassin, Shadow. The reaper was always close behind him. He would slit his mama's throat for a nickel. He and his dog killed without mercy and without regrets. And he had just pulled a shruiken out of a child's ear for the sole purpose of seeing her face look exactly as it did now.

_Heh. _The pressure forced its way from his chest up through his teeth. _Heh-heh._ Trying to contain it, Shadow looked down at the floor for a moment. But when he tilted his head back up and saw that Relm and Sabin's expressions were virtually unchanged, he couldn't force it back any longer. _Heh … hehheh … hehhahahaha! _What he had done was ridiculous. What they were doing was ridiculous! Before he could even think to stop himself, his shoulders were shuddering and his chest convulsing with laughter. The mental link made sure that the others were privy to what was causing his amusement, but just to help it sink in a little more, he flashed them an image of how they looked as they stared at him. Sabin was the first to begin roaring with laughter, and Relm quickly followed suit. Even Interceptor joined in the fray, leaping up on his boss and wagging his tail so hard that his entire body shook with the motion.

What are you doing? The others couldn't hear him through the laughter, the raucous, powerful, tear inducing laughter that flowed through them all. Couldn't hear that blasted voice, couldn't hear his response.

_I'm laughing_. He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. _I'm laughing!_

0 0 0

After the four of them had calmed down enough so that they could glance at each other and only smile, it took them an amazingly short time to find yet another door. But unlike the others, this door was already open and within its depths they could not see another platform or more colorful sky; only blackness. None of them could place how exactly they knew, but it _was_ the door that would lead them out.

Something flew over their head, but when they turned to catch sight of it all they could discern was the shifting colors of the sky. Red, blue, and yellow streaks entwined above them in a haunting, almost mystifying dance that, had they not known the importance of staying alert, would have taken hold of their minds for a short time while they observed their beauty. Red, blue, and yellow. What was it that was red, blue, and yellow? Fire could be red, blue, and yellow if the source were hot enough. But that wasn't it. Three intriguing streaks began to move in a lazy spiral, almost as if they were acting in tandem.

_Red, blue, and yellow. _Why did those colors seem so important?

_The three primary colors._

_The three colors of magic. Fire, Ice, and Thunder._

_Three causes of death._ _Bleeding, Cold, and Disease._

_Hey guys, _Sabin chimed in, _weren't those three Dream Stooges red, blue, and yellow?_

No sooner had the words traveled between them then the spiraling streaks changed their course, becoming an arrowhead and shooting down towards the platform and coming to a halt just in front of the open door. The Dream Stooges spoke in words that none of them could hear, but their expression got the message across well enough; to get out, they had to get through them.

No words were spoken. No gestures were exchanged. There was no need. Knowing exactly what each of their companions was doing, the four of them formed a narrow diamond, with Sabin at the head, Shadow and Interceptor just behind him on either side, and Relm standing so she was directly shielded by the monk's bulk.

_Shell_. The sapphire aura of the spell settled down over Sabin, just as the monk's fists became wreathed in flame and he bounded forward in the first steps of _Rising Phoenix_. In the span of a moment, Sabin was everywhere, spinning and darting around the Stooges to create a whirling haze of heat and fire that engulfed them all. In any other situation it wouldn't have crossed Shadow's mind to join his companion in the attack. Even if he could get close, Sabin was moving so quickly that Shadow's attacks would just as likely hit him as they would the enemy! But this, this was different. There was no hesitation in the assassin's movements as he sprinted alongside the edge of the platform, hurling shruiken through the heat to slam home into the yellow Stooge's chest. He knew he wouldn't hit Sabin. He couldn't see him, but he _knew_ where the monk was.

With the blitz technique complete, Sabin backed off to catch his breath while Relm distracted the three Stooges with her spells. The blue one, already weakened by the blitz, hovered low to the ground for only a second, just long enough for Interceptor to receive and respond to his boss' command, darting forward and snatching the monster's leg, dragging it down. The thing struggled and let out silent cries to its brothers as the dog bore it down.

_Sabin!_

_On it!_ Sabin rushed to aide Interceptor in pinning the creature, but was forced back as the yellow stooge swooped down and sent a Thundara straight into his chest. Jeez, even with Shell, that _stung_! He staggered back a few steps, then clenched his fists and smiled. The split second before he straightened out of his slight hunch, Shadow leapt up onto his curved back and, using Sabin as a springboard, threw himself over the yellow stooge's head to grab hold of the higher flying red brother and drag him down. As yellow was still recovering from the shock of seeing the assassin soar over him, he was first slammed with Relm's Fira, then slammed again with Sabin's _Raging Fists_.

_We have them!_

_Not quite,_ Shadow snarled. The red one managed to slip free, then flew up, up out range of his thrown weapons, and now it was casting, gods be damned, CURAGA on its brothers! Newly rejuvenated, blue broke free of Interceptor's grasp while yellow caught Sabin on the side of the head with another Thundara, giving the monster just enough time to escape.

_Healer first._

_ If we can reach it._

Shadow, Sabin, and Interceptor all moved back into their original positions, keeping themselves between Relm and the Stooges. _Move to the side you big lug, I can't see to cast my spell!_ But overhead, the stooges were making the motions of their own type of spellcasting.

_No. Let them hit me, I can take it better than you. You gave me Shell, remember?_

There was no arguing with that, but she _still_ would like to see what those monsters were doing with her own eyes. But before she could put voice to her thoughts- not that there was any need- the Stooges swooped over their heads, halting directly behind the diamond, and let loose their attack. Three beams of light, one from each of the Stooges, merged into one, hurtling through the air to hit Relm from behind, engulfing her in a beam of white magic.

But, as impressive as it was, it did nothing. Relm didn't even feel the slightest of twinges as the energy cascaded over her as if she were only a rock in a stream. But . . . even as it washed over her, the remains of the beam hit Sabin. The spell crashed right through Shell's barrier and sank into Sabin's flesh, any part it touched turning a horrifyingly lifeless grey.

Gone, gone, gone! Cut like a string from a knot, one piece gone makes the whole unravel. Got to stop, collect myself, can't stop, have to fight, have to think, have to _concentrate!_ Petrified, he was only petrified. That could be healed, she could heal it, she knew she could! Stand and fight, cast the spell, got to run, the door, can't leave, _concentrate!_ Blizara coming at them, dodge it, left, right? Too late!

In an instant Shadow and Relm's floundering consciences linked up, fixed on a single idea. Without realizing it, their movements synchronized as they each brought their right foot back to form a fighting stance while at the same time lifting their hands up so their palms faced the oncoming spell.

_FIRA!_ The oncoming hail of ice hissed and dissipated in a veil of steam on contact with the flames. _Shadow? Relm. Fira? Thought it best. The ice dragon? Mmm. _Alright! Now this was something! Thoughts raced through the three of them so quickly that such "conversations" took only an instant- this was not speaking. It was . . . beyond anything he could explain. Instinctively he leapt back, narrowly avoiding a Thundara spell cast blindly into the steam. Interceptor had _smelled_ that! But the dog wanted no thanks, wanted no praise. All he wanted was to bring down those three monsters threatening his boss and his girl.

_Healer_. Blue yields to red, red yields to blue, fire yields to ice. Moving in Shadow's footsteps, Relm followed the assassin out from under the steam's concealing blanket. There! She halted and raised her hands to point just over the red stooge's head, _Blizara! _ Heedless of the plummeting shards of ice, Shadow and Interceptor leapt into the spell. When the red stooge dipped down to flee, the ferocious dog was there to meet him with snapping fangs and a snarl that, if audible, would have struck terror into the monster's heart. As soon as Interceptor and his prey hit the ground, the stooge came face to face with his previous captor once more. This time, Shadow had no intention of letting it escape.

Relm's heart raced along with Shadow's as he drew the Ichigeki across the pinned stooge's throat. The exhilaration, the power, the _pride_! Making a hard earned kill and doing it cleanly- this was living! Her mind still riding the waves of Shadow and Interceptor's elation, Relm spun about and began to hammer the blue stooge with fire spells. The red's body disappeared, just like the dragon's had, but that did not bring the killing pair out of their heightened state. There were two enemies left. No, one, one now! The blue one disappeared with a silent scream in a flash of flame, leaving only Relm's feeling of triumph as a memory of its existence. She barely stumbled when the remaining stooge began to slam her with lightning spells, she just counter attacked with anything that came to mind. A shruiken caught the vengeful monster full in the throat and the creature, acting on instinct rather than sense, pulled it out before disappearing without a trace.

As they tried to calm their racing hearts in the post battle lull, Shadow cautiously looked in the young artist's direction. How could she even _look _at him knowing how he felt when he killed? He knew his reaction wasn't human. Couldn't be human. Why should he be worried? He was _Shadow_! Assassins didn't have to worry about the opinions of little girls, did they? Relm flashed him a mocking smile. No, assassin's don't. But he didn't take pleasure in the challenge of the fight like Sabin did; he took pleasure in the _kill!_ It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter? _Why doesn't it matter?_

Relm cocked her head to the side and gave him a little shrug. _Because you're Shadow, so it just doesn't_. When the assassin couldn't come up with a suitable response, Relm's smile changed to a triumphant smirk. Now all she had to do was un-petrify Sabin, go through the door, and get out of here! Then they could wake up and she could begin her quest to make Cyan happy again! How could she go through so much and still think like that? Why didn't she GET IT! About Cyan . . . about _him_.

Suddenly the young artist stopped in her tracks, spinning around to face him and putting her hands on her hips. _What don't I get?_ she asked indignantly. Taking on the most intimidating posture he could, Shadow stalked towards her. _Everything! Cyan, at least the man you know as Cyan, is DYING! And me_, Shadow looked at her hard, _I am already dead. There is no humanity in here_, he tapped his chest.

_I am a shell. An uncaring, heartless, shell, _he hissed, _I am no different than the monsters we just killed!_

How could he think something like that! He wasn't a monster, he was Shadow! He was Interceptor's boss, a dependable member of the group, her best friend!

_NO! _he roared. Why didn't she understand! _I am dangerous. Strago gets it, why don't you! I am not your friend! I am no one's friend! _He was Shadow, the unfeeling killer. No family, no friends. Only his dog. Everything, everyone else was nothing.

If he had bothered to look, he would have noticed Relm beginning to shake. _You're trying to push me away . . ._

_ YES! _he snarled. _Why won't you just leave me alone! _Everything. Everyone. Nothing. What about her? She was-. No more. She is-. NO! _NOTHING, SHE IS NOTHING TO ME!_

Nothing?

She was . . . nothing? But . . . he had promised. GODDAMNIT, HE HAD PROMISED! Had _everything _been a lie? Yes. He had lied to her. No . . . no . . . Shadow . . . not Shadow! The sharp stab of grief and betrayal hit the assassin like a physical blow. He doubled over in agony, back arched, chin on his chest, hands clutching his knees. This pain! Her pain! Not caring was supposed to PREVENT the pain, not cause it! She should never have to feel like he had, NEVER!

_I trusted you_, she whimpered, _you promised you wouldn't leave me alone._ How could he? Maybe he really _was_ a monster . . . he certainly _wasn't _her friend!

She was nearly sobbing now. Relm, oh gods, Relm! He had done this! Not caring wouldn't have caused her pain before, but now after he had already-. _NO! She is nothing! It's better for her, it's better for you! _Why was he trying to convince himself, he already said she was nothing? But she- _IS! _Something. _NOTHING!_ What was he doing?

Interceptor was torn. Both his people were hurting, he didn't know who to go to! Why was his boss doing that? Because he had to. No he didn't. He may have been broken, but that didn't mean he had to stay that way. Broken? Yes, like a shattered bone. And _old_ shattered bone. As much as he wanted to, Interceptor didn't know how to fix his broken boss. Relm was hurt and alone and needed comfort, he could do that. He padded softly over to the young artist and allowed her to put her arms around his neck. Together, they watched.

Broken? Broken was he? Shadow's lips formed a sickly grin. What a good description Interceptor had come up with. Though he could think of a more accurate one. Empty. Saying something was broken implied that it could be fixed. He _could not_ be fixed. Of that he was sure and certain. Allowing his eyes to flit over towards his partner and the girl, his grin turned into a grimace. Just because he was the way he was didn't mean _she _had to suffer for it! _Why should you care? You made a mistake letting yourself think about her at all! Now look what you've done, she brought back the old hurt._ She shouldn't have to feel that pain!_ YOU SHOULDN'T CARE! Remember she is NOTHING to you, right?_

_Right?_

Was Shadow . . . arguing with himself? What was going on? Surprised at the new development, Relm felt the tears begin to cease as she listened to the assassin's internal conflict. It was like there were two people inside the assassin's head. What in the name of Ramuh's sparking staff?

With a groan Shadow straightened up and began to pace again. His thoughts bounced back and forth, between what he knew had happened and what he wanted to believe. Did he even want to believe that anymore? _YES, because it was the truth!_ The mess became so tangled that he couldn't even begin to distinguish logical fact from fabricated conclusion. Gods be damned, everything had been so simple before _her_! _Which her?_ Both of them!

Both of who?

Shadow's mangled thoughts jolted into a frenzy at the intruding question, but before it could get too out of hand, _something_ clamped down on his mind and superimposed a hand, palm perpendicular to the floor, thrusting out, over his vision. Cease. That was the Interceptor's Cease command.

When his boss responded to the command by halting all movement, all thought, Interceptor lifted his lips into a snarl. His boss may have been broken, but that didn't mean he had to be _stupid!_ He had been broken for a long, long time, but he had always known what was real and what was not. Now he was being stupid, stupid, stupid! Interceptor wiggled out from Relm's grasp and circled behind her. Putting his nose at the small of her back, he gently bumped her forward. When she took a few steps up, Interceptor wagged his tail and bumped her again. A few more steps. Another bump. A few more steps. Another bump. Finally she was standing just a few paces away from his boss.

_Interceptor-_ The black dog bounded up to Relm's side and fixed his boss with an angry snarl, all the while imposing the Cease command once more. He couldn't trust his boss right now. Not when he didn't know the difference between what was real and what wasn't. He was real. Relm was real. These memories, they were real. Images flashed, sometimes with sound, more often just silent pictures. All of them were of his boss and his girl. They could see them too, he knew they could. _That_ was real.

_So simple, boy_.

Yes, it was simple. There was real and there wasn't real. That was real. His boss couldn't argue with what was real. It was real. For all his attempts to keep it from happening, all his denial, all his lies, it _was_ real. And if his _dog_ had the sense to realize it, why didn't he? Because he hadn't wanted to, that was why. But now that it had, he would just have to learn to live with it.

Kneeling down, Shadow reached out and scratched behind Interceptor's ears. _Good dog . . . I guess._ Fearing the worst, he looked up at Relm's tear streaked face.

_ I'm, _he turned his face away- he couldn't meet her gaze, not when he had hurt her that badly, _I'm sorry for- _ Hurting you. Making you feel the same sort of pain I did. _Yelling._

Through the mental connection, Relm could feel that Shadow was sincere in his apology. But the sting of betrayal was still fresh in her mind and . . . she just couldn't find it in herself to forgive him. He understood. Slowly, he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. But when she jerked away he made no move to follow. He would have to work for her forgiveness. She _wanted_ everything to be like it was before, but . . .

_Why?_ She couldn't help it, she felt like she needed to know what was behind this. It must have been something horrible, to effect Shadow so badly.

Before he could even think to put a leash on his thoughts, Shadow found himself telling the young artist what no one, not even Interceptor, had heard. _Everyone I ever cared for has suffered because of me. Suffered and died. I-I couldn't even grant them an easy passing. _He looked up to see her staring at him with those pretty, pretty hazel eyes. _I've found it is better not to care at all. If one feels no emotion and has no ties, nothing can hurt them._

Relm was aghast. _But don't the good things in life balance out the bad? _

_ No. _After a moment he added, _there are two exceptions to what I said about those I cared for._

_Who?_

_Interceptor._

Relm cocked her head curiously. _And?_

_ You._

0 0 0

_Does long chapter make up for it taking so long? Of course not. I am very sorry._

_Okay, there was much that went into the delay of this chapter, mostly that I suddenly seemed to lose my "spark" for writing for no apparent reason. I hacked out a version of this chap that even I didn't like, then my computer decided that IT didn't like it either and did not save the ending. And suddenly, the spark was back, I hated this chap and gave it the major surgery it needed, added three new scenes, numerous new paragraphs, and actually tried to bring my characters to life again. So I'm sorry for the wait and hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed fixing it. _

_I'm still not sure about the ending . . . I meant for Cyan's dream to only take up one chapter, but now it's basically spanning into three. A warning to you all, the next chapter will most likely also be a long one. I will try to get it out a little sooner. _


	15. Only a Dream

_Writer's block, school, work, life. Take your pick, they all got in the way. If any of my original readers are still following this, I apologize once more._

_Thanks to my beta reader __**Antismuf Lord of Darkness**__, and my reviewers, __**Varanus**__, __**HopelessRomantisist**__, __**missiongirl87**__, __**ChaoticRevival**__, and __**CTSael**__! And DAMN TO HELL for not sending email reports of reviews! I come back after several months and I see reviews that I HAD NO IDEA WERE THERE! I swear, if I could figure out how to properly post my stories on it, I'd switch to archiveofourown in a heartbeat._

_I do not own Final Fantasy VI, or its characters, though I sincerely wish I did._

_0 0 0_

The moment they stepped through that door, everything was different. Sound returned to the dream world, the prominent one being the clatter of the train as it rushed over the tracks on its path to nowhere. No longer could they hear each other's thoughts, and for that Shadow was extremely glad. That was all he needed, Sabin finding out what had transpired while he was petrified. Although ... the spot where the other's minds had merged with his felt irritatingly empty. And his own thoughts seemed … bland in comparison.

Before anyone could comment on the situation, movement overhead startled them. Someone jumped from the roof of the car behind to theirs, only to slip and fall to the platform they were standing on. _Curious,_ Shadow thought, _he makes no sound_. The fallen man picked himself up quickly, staring at them, no, _through_ them, with terror filled eyes. Relm gasped and stepped towards him.

"Cyan!" But their friend did not hear. Letting out a silent shout, the terrified warrior scrambled to his feet and dashed into the train car, running as if the demons of hell were at his heels.

"Hey! Wait!" Sabin shouted ineffectually, sprinting after the fleeing Doman. Relm, with Interceptor close behind, ran after the monk, shouting similarly useless phrases at Cyan's back. Didn't they get it? Of course not. Shadow shook his head and started after his companions in an easy walk. How could they? He doubted either of them had had experience with these kind of nightmares. What happened happened, and nothing they or anyone else did would change that. Whatever was here in this dream world was something only Cyan could see, something only he could defeat. And, judging by the look of terror that graced the man's normally stoic countenance, it was something that he had no desire to face.

0 0 0

The train seemed to go on _forever_! Were all trains this long? By the time she and Sabin finally reached the engine room, Relm was out of breath and had to put a hand on Interceptor's back to steady herself. Curious, she peered around at the various dials and switches that, she supposed, helped the conductor control the train. That is, if there were a conductor. Just like the rest of the train, save for the vicious dream beasts, the engine room was completely devoid of life. Sabin made a confused sound as he scanned the empty room.

"Where's," he began, "Oh wait, I know! Relm, stay here." If her knees hadn't been shaking from the prolonged sprint, Relm would have followed the monk when he moved to the outside of the train and swung himself onto the top of the engine, just to show him _not_ to order her around! Plus, she was just as confused as he was; where had Cyan gone? They had seen him run in here!

"What do you think, Interceptor?" The dog looked up at her expectantly and wagged his tail. "Where did he go? Can you smell him?"

"You can tell him to Seek," someone muttered from behind her, "But it will do no good." Relm jumped in surprise and whirled around; coming face to face with the black clad assassin who she was certain had not been keeping up with her and Sabin as they ran. For a moment Relm was tempted to bombard him with questions, what did he mean, how did he get here so fast, where did he think Cyan was, why hadn't she heard him come up behind her. But as her mouth opened to emit the first, "Why?" she forced herself to snap it shut. It didn't make sense, even _before_ she had got to know Shadow she was fine pelting him with any query that came to mind. But now . . . everything was different.

He meant it when he said he was sorry. He even practically admitted that when he said that she was … she was … _nothing_ to him, he was lying. But … when he first said … that thing … he was telling the truth too. It was all so confusing! And then there were Shadow's two voices and "both of her." Who? Well, Relm guessed she was probably one 'her' but then who was the other one? Terra? Celes? She'd have to ask hi- NO! She would NOT be talking to Shadow like a friend for a good, LONG time after what he did to her! _It's not like he would tell me anyway._

Sabin swung back inside the train to land between the assassin and the artist. His confused face belayed his findings before he even uttered a word. "Cyan isn't out there."

"Where could he be?" Relm wondered out loud.

"Gone."

She rounded on the assassin. "Oh really? I didn't notice!" she snapped. Why the _hell_ was he bothering to speak at all if he was just going to state the obvious! As far as she was concerned, Shadow could just shut the hell up and never say another word as long as she lived!

Sabin looked at her in surprise, then switched his gaze to Shadow, then back to her. His brow furrowed in confusion as he continued to look at Relm who was standing so stiffly and acting more defensive than ever and Shadow who seemed, well, Sabin wasn't even sure how to describe the assassin. He was standing with hunched shoulders and when he moved, it was without confidence. Sabin remembered feeling the way Shadow looked when Vargus had first beaten him in a fight and beaten him quite badly. Had those Dream Stooges gotten to Shadow? But that wouldn't make sense, Relm told him that it was only because she, Shadow, and Interceptor had worked together that they were able to beat the Stooges. And even more curious, Sabin noticed that the assassin was constantly looking at the ground, at least when he happened to be within Relm's field of vision. But when the artist turned to take a look at some of the train's controls, Shadow's head lifted and his gaze settled on Relm's back.

"Do you know what any of these do?" Judging by the tilt of her head, Sabin could tell the question was directed at him. He glanced at the three levers on the wall. They looked so familiar.

"Um," he began hesitantly, "One of those is the breaks. We pulled it when we needed to stop the Phantom Train. I think it was …"

As Sabin's finger wavered between the three switches, Shadow silently strode forward and pulled the middle switch down. "This one."

0 0 0

One moment there was nothing and the next he found himself sitting on a cold, hard seat fifteen or so feet above the ground in a dimly lit cave. Nearby were large shapes that, after letting his eyes adjust to the lack of light, Shadow discerned were suits of Magitech Armor, both with pilots inside. One of the pilots stood up, her head barely clearing the control board, though a second shape that rose up on its hind legs and planed its forepaws on the seat was well able to see out of the machine.

"Where are we?" _Relm_. Relm had come out of the nothingness and, judging by the silhouette of the other occupant of Relm's Magitech Armor, Interceptor had as well. Shadow didn't bother trying to hide his relieved sigh. He was too far away for them to hear and it was too dark for them to see. But even if one of them had noticed, he wouldn't care. _He wouldn't care?_ No, he would not. Let them think what they would. He would not care.

One of the suits of Magitck Armor roared to life and light flooded the cavern as its driver activated the luminous orb attached to the front of the machine. "Hey," Sabin shouted over his rumbling machine, "This is one of the mines in Narshe!" It had been years since Shadow had seen one of the mines, but the half rusted tracks, abandoned equipment, and obviously man made tunnels branching off from the main cave left little room for doubt as to this dream's location. Flicking a few switches, Shadow activated his own Magitck Armor and added his light to Sabin's.

"Come on, Relm," Sabin shouted, "Third switch from the left turns it on, first switch in the second row works the light, and the two levers right in front of you control the movement. It's easy, even Cyan was able to do it! Well … kind of."

The young artist looked dubiously at the array of technology before her and shook her head. "I think I'll pass," she replied, "Interceptor and I will just ride with you. That way I can have my hands free to cast magic."

Sabin's eyebrows rose. "Ride with _me_?"

In response Relm let out a dramatic sigh, "Yes, is that so hard to grasp? You drive the thing and I'll sit on one shoulder and Interceptor will sit on the other. It's quite simple really."

"Yes, but-" he stuttered. What _had_ happened while he was petrified? Sure, he and Relm were good pals, but Shadow was the girl's best friend! Hell, aside from the old man, Shadow was probably the closest thing to a father Relm had! She _never_ missed a chance to spend time with her favorite assassin. "Why don't you ride with Shadow?"

Sabin was about to add a very confident, 'He won't mind,' when Relm interrupted him with a snarled, "_NO!_"

The echoes of Relm's shout faded away into the kind of silence that can only happen in caves. Sabin stared at Relm and she met his eyes with a glare that conveyed her thoughts better than any words. Even Interceptor was put off by her manner; though he did not jump out of the mech, he scooted to the side opposite the young artist and lay his ears flat against his skull. But Relm, much like himself Shadow observed, did not care.

"That's enough, Relm," he rasped. She whirled on him, but he cut her off before she could even start to shout. "Save your anger for me, don't bring the others into it."

"And why should I listen to you?" she snapped.

"Because I'm right. They've done nothing to deserve your wrath."

Shadow _was_ right. Interceptor had done his best to fix what was wrong and Sabin, he hadn't even been technically alive when Shadow snapped and let loose that secret. That stupid secret Relm wished she had never heard. NO! It was a good thing she knew! Now, even though it hurt, at least she knew how he really felt about her. He was not her friend. He didn't care about her.

_Don't follow me, _he had told her. He hadn't wanted her around from the beginning, why had she been stupid enough to think he was her friend?

"You still don't have any right to order me around," she sneered at him, "Stop acting like you're my father, or something. You're not even my friend."

Had Relm been close enough, she would have seen the assassin's body go completely still. He sat, barely breathing, as a curious empty expression came into his eyes. When he finally stirred, it was to fix the young artist with a cold, emotionless gaze.

"You're right," he replied with a tone that, despite her attempts to be unaffected, sent an icy finger of dread running down her spine, "I'm not."

0 0 0

She may as well have been a shadow on the wall for all the notice he took of her. No, she was less than a shadow. He at least peered into those with flat, lifeless eyes, making sure that there were no dream beasts hiding within. Her toe caught on an upturned corner of the rug, causing her to stumble and reach out instinctively to catch herself on his arm.

Shadow just kept walking.

A trickle of wetness formed at the corner of Relm's eye. If only he would say something! Don't follow me, leave me alone, go away, _anything! _And it wasn't just her. Everything, everyone, seemed to be beneath his notice. Even when Cyan's wife appeared to them in the infirmary and begged them to save her husband, Shadow did not react. He could have said something, done something! Cyan was his friend as much as theirs! But all he did was stare with those cold, expressionless eyes and stalk off as soon as Elayne had finished speaking.

A dream beast leapt out of a corridor towards them, and Relm flinched at the calculated efficiency that Shadow dispatched it with and again when, without warning, the assassin threw a shruiken at a second beast behind Sabin. After a brief moment of shock, Sabin raised his hand up to his ear. It came away covered in blood.

"What gives, Shadow!" he shouted at the already moving assassin, "A little lower and you'd have cut my throat!"

The assassin did not even turn around.

0 0 0

_Cyan and Owain sat by the riverside. The older Doman held a fishing pole in his hands, but his attention was focused entirely on his son. As Owain fiddled with his own pole and fidgeted constantly, Cyan's face softened into a smile._

_ Suddenly, the boy stood up. "Dad … fishing is boring!'_

_ Cyan tried to keep his face neutral, but the crinkling of the skin at the corners of his eyes betrayed the just barely repressed smile. This was not the man they knew. That Cyan was war torn and broken, even on his good days. This man was content. Really and truly content._

_ 'But this is another part of thy training,' Cyan gently admonished his son, 'Patience is something we all must learn.'_

_ Owain seemed to consider this for a moment before sitting down and plopping his line back in the water. '… I love fishing!'_

He watched the phantoms impassively. Relm, Sabin, even Interceptor reacted, two with a whimper and one with a clenching of fists and jaw. But even had he wanted to, Shadow couldn't do a thing. In his chest and gut where all his locked away emotions had been churning and growing … was nothing. What Relm had said, _"It's not like you're my father or something. You're not even my friend."_ Those words hit him like the ice dragon's chilling breath, freezing all that was warm inside him. All the pain, all the confusion was gone and in its place …

Death. That was the only way he could describe it. That empty stillness within him that swallowed up everything else, yet somehow did not make him feel hollow. _It is fitting that I carry death inside me. My life is lived through death. It defines me. And now, it __**is**__ me._

A little more exploration around the dream castle revealed another scene.

_Owain rushed forward, wooden practice sword in hand, and slashed at his father. Cyan took a step out of his son's reach and swung out with his own blade, made to fit his size and weighted to mimic a real sword. But Owain followed his father's retreat, jabbing through his defenses to poke the tip of his sword against Cyan's chest. The older Doman raised his hands above his head in a signal of defeat._

'_Thou hast become quite strong!' he said as he stepped forward to put an arm around the boy's shoulders, 'With a little more practice thou wilt be Doma's finest swordsan!'_

_That one little comment seemed to make Owain's day. He wiggled out of his father's grasp and began to bounce around the training field. 'Yay! Dad told me I'm strong!' he turned to his father and flashed him a shining smile, 'I'm gonna go tell mom!' _

_Cyan shook his head and laughed as he watched his son race off. _

It was all Relm could do to choke back a sob. _Daddy, look at this!_ The hazy memory came unbidden and though she tried, nothing more than voices came to her. _That's beautiful, Relm! You're going to be as fine an artist as your mother someday! _Her mother was dead. _Really, Daddy? _And her father was gone. _Would I lie to my little girl?_ Yes. Yes, you would lie. Fathers promise to love and protect their little girls forever, but you didn't. You LEFT!

_Not like_, Relm's lip quivered as the thought crossed her mind. _Not like Shadow_. She stole a glance at the emotionless statue in black that was already stalking away from the deserted training ring. He promised that he would always be there for her and … he was. It was Shadow who came with them when she asked, Shadow who listened to her secrets, Shadow who rescued her when she was in danger, Shadow who held her when she cried, Shadow who fixed what was wrong when no one else could. Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, Shadow.

A person didn't do those things for someone who meant nothing to them. He may have said it, said it in that strange bout of madness after the Dream Stooges had been defeated, but he was wrong. He had argued with himself, he had even come to some weird conclusion or had been about to before she interrupted him. He apologized and she had just pushed him away.

_Empty_, Shadow had called himself. _Shattered_, that was Interceptor's word. It was at that moment that the depth of Shadow's issues hit Relm full force. Everything that had happened to the assassin screwed him up so bad inside over the years that the only way he could cope was to hide it away. What Relm believed to be simple adult anger and irritation was really a shield- one that simultaneously pushed people aside and kept any potentially painful feelings locked away. But her, being the stubborn person she was, had waltzed right through those shields without regard for what kind of havoc she must have wreaked on the assassin.

"He didn't want a friend," Relm whispered to herself, "But … he let me …" And she, with her stupid, STUPID pride couldn't find it in herself to be CIVIL to Shadow when he needed her forgiveness the most! And now … he was like this.

It was all her fault.

0 0 0

Interceptor did not want to go back inside the castle. But, when Shadow snapped his fingers, the dutiful dog returned to the assassin's side with ears pressed flat against his skull and his tail tucked between his legs. There was something in this place, Interceptor knew. Something he _did not_ want to face. Shadow knew it too. He also knew that if they wanted to leave this dream, that was exactly what they had to do. The monk and the girl followed his lead without a sound, save for the scattered sniffs and whimpers from the girl's throat.

When Interceptor looked down a hallway and _whined_, a long keening sound that startled the girl and even caused the monk to curse and ask what was wrong, Shadow ignored them, turning into that hallway without hesitation. Even when Interceptor steadfastly refused to go on, Shadow kept going. He saw a door that looked familiar, though he could not remember why, and opened it. As he entered the room, he heard something small doing the same at his heels. He did not bother to look at what it was.

'_My dear …'_

Shadow's hand flew to the Ichigeki's hilt at the unexpected voice, but almost instantly relaxed. It was only more phantoms.

_Cyan's wife, Elayne, walked out of a small kitchen area that looked as though it had only just recently been cleaned, nervously looking at her husband. The man in question sat in an armchair with a thick book resting open on his knee. He looked up and smiled at her, his head giving a slight nod to show her he was listening._

_ Elayne eyes fixed on the floor for a few moments as she gathered the courage to voice her question. 'Do you love me?'_

_ Whatever Cyan had been expecting, it certainly wasn't __**that**__! The Doman's eyes bulged and he practically leapt from his chair in surprise, the book falling forgotten to the floor._

_ 'What art thou asking me!' he barked, 'A warrior does not speak of such things!'_

_ Elayne did not say anything to her husband's answer- she did not need to. Her slumped shoulders and averted eyes conveyed the depth of her disappointment far better than any words could. Cyan studied her for a few moments before turning away to stare intently at the stones of the wall. _

_ Both stood with their heads bowed, neither daring to look at the other. Elayne tried to be stoic, and seemed exceedingly grateful that her husband hadn't turned around to see her wipe the tears from her eyes. There were no tears in Cyan's eyes, only confusion as he wrestled with his warrior's pride and his own feelings for the woman standing behind him._

_ Just as she was about to leave, a barely audible whisper slipped from Cyan's lips._

_ 'I … love thee.' _

_ Elayne stopped and looked at her husband. He slowly turned around and met her damp eyes with his own, dark with feeling. Three strides and he was there, putting his hands on Elayne's shoulders and drawing her close._

_ 'I love thee more than anything,' he murmured into her hair. _

_ A rustle from the occupied bed did little to distract the embracing pair, until the bed's occupant leapt out with a shout and a grin._

_ 'Yay!' Owain exclaimed as he bounced up and down, 'I heard that!' Elayne and Cyan broke apart, the latter's cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson behind his moustache. 'I love thee, I love thee! Dad loves Mom!'_

_ Elayne knew how difficult this sort of thing was for her husband to express. As he said, warrior did not speak of such things. But now that he had, Elayne was loathe to let the moment be taken away so quickly. She scolded her son, who only answered with an even wider grin._

_ 'I heard what Dad said to Mom!'_

_ The surprise was evident on her face when Cyan put his arm back around her and beckoned for their son to join them. The little boy scampered over as quickly as he could, into his father's waiting embrace. _

The phantoms were still holding each other as they silently faded away.

A few moments of silence ensued before a wrenching sob sounded near his left elbow. He looked. It was the girl. Only the girl. The monk and dog had not followed him. Tears streamed unchecked down her face. She did not even try to wipe them away.

"I get it now," she gasped through the sobs, "He loved them so much … they were _everything_! And Kefka _killed them_! They did nothing and he _killed them_! Cyan's world … how did he do it? If it were me, I would have hated, hated and raged and done anything to kill him. But Cyan, he just, he just …"

She broke down then, dropping to her knees so she could hold her head in her hands and sob.

"Is this what happened to you?" she whispered.

As quiet and unfeeling as a shadow on the wall, he strode out of the room.

Leaving her to cry.

Alone.

0 0 0

The fighter barreled into the throne room at full speed, only just managing to come to a stop outside of the demon creature's reach. At the demon's side lay a crumpled wraith of a man. He was barely breathing.

Clenching his fists and squaring his shoulders, the fighter shouted, "Let Cyan go!"

The demon just laughed. The noise made the girl cringe and the dog snarl.

"You're too late!" the demon cackled, "This man cannot escape me!" He turned to the crumpled man and, with mock tenderness, ran a claw up his chest, neck, to the tip of his chin. "He is overcome by despair at this own powerlessness!" The demon's voice shuddered in perverse pleasure. "I am fed by his sorrow … his anger … and his hate!"

Finally, the demon left his prey. "And now I shall partake in yours!"

Two smaller demons appeared on either side of the larger one and lunged. The big man met them with a rage filled howl and fists that burst into flame. The demon only laughed.

"I'll possess one of your bodies! Perhaps I'll return to this form once you've expired…"

_Hate._ The dog's lips drew back as a snarl roared up from the depths of his chest. These _things_ were _wrong! _Everything about this place was _wrong, wrong, WRONG!_ Not bothering to wait for a command, the dog charged one monster. If he couldn't kill the source of the _wrongness_, at least he could kill _that!_

_Anger._ When the fighter's flaming fists proved ineffectual, he stepped back, pressed both palms together, and targeted one demon with a beam of holy energy. As it burst into pieces, the fighter was already springing towards its twin, claws first, to rip and tear and _kill_ the thing that would hurt his friend like this!

_Sorrow._ The girl's eyes hardened as she started to chant the first words of a _Blizzara_ spell, but that did not change the fact that they remained red rimmed from her tears. Even as she loosed the spell at a hapless demon her gaze was fixed on the form lying, more likely than not dying, beside the throne. Even as the monsters were destroyed and reformed before her eyes, even as the dog and the fighter destroyed them over and over, she kept half an eye on the fallen warrior. And the other half she kept on…

Him.

A strange expression crossed her features, but that was quickly replaced by a much more familiar one. Fear.

"Shadow!" she cried out to him. She was afraid. She wanted protection. She wanted her friend.

He felt nothing. Though he wasn't needed, he moved to assist the dog as it savaged the monster again and again. After dodging a clumsy strike, he pivoted on one leg in order to whirl about and plunge his knife into the area that served as the monster's neck. It disappeared without a sound. But, just as it had time and time before, it reformed a short distance away. The dog let out a hate filled howl that was almost a scream and hurtled at it again.

A blast of holy power barely missed hitting him. The fighter was lost to his anger now: half his blows missed their intended target, while the other half did such devastating damage that it made up for the lack of accuracy.

"Shadow, please …"

He ignored the whimper and instead drew his arm back to launch a shruiken at one of the monsters. The steel left his fingertips and hissed through the air, landing squarely between-

_'Hold still, you silly fool!'_

The assassin's muscles spasmed and froze. He could almost feel the phantom touch of hands between his shoulder blades. Suddenly terrified, Shadow tried to force the memory back to the dark depths where it _should_ have been locked away. But his efforts were in vain.

_'HELL! That stings, girl!'_

_ 'It's supposed to, now HOLD STILL!'_

_ He shifted a little and grumbled to himself, 'Witch.'_

_ In retaliation she swiped the ointment soaked cloth inside the oozing puncture wound with a touch more force than was necessary. 'Chicken-heart.' _

The scars from that incident were almost entirely eclipsed by ones made by the behemoths claws. At least, the ones present on his back were. His left shoulder still bore the remains of a jagged gash that had become infected and the leg he had broken throbbed before every storm. Throbbed like his head was throbbing now.

"Shadow," the girl whimpered. Her voice was just audible over the screams and howls of the nearby battle. "I-I … Shadow …"

She was calling for him. _Begging_ for him! He gritted his teeth and steeled his mind. She was nothing to him! She was-

_'Hey, Chicken-heart!'_

_ Clyde's eyes cracked open and he couldn't stop the corner of lips from turning up into a grin. 'Afternoon, Witch.'_

_ She reached into the basket she carried and threw a fist sized roll at his head. It bounced off his temple and fell to the ground, halting just before rolling off the stream bank Clyde sat on. _

_ 'Wasting food now, are we?' he teased, picking up the roll and tossing it back and forth between his hands. She snorted and sat down beside him._

"No," he hissed, "Not this! Not her!"

'_It's not a waste,' Reina replied, 'If you won't eat it, Rex will.' Clyde couldn't disagree with that; the big black dog that acted as the young woman's shadow certainly wouldn't balk at a little dirt on his food. _

_ The two bantered back and forth as they ate. They spoke like people who had grown up together, not ones who had met a scant three months before, when he had stumbled half dead into town and collapsed. _

_ When they finished eating, Reina turned to him with a much more serious look on her face._

_ 'Clyde,' she began, 'I want you to promise me something.' _

_ After a contemplative moment, he replied in an almost regretful sounding growl. 'I've never been good at keeping promises.'_

_ But Reina would not be deterred. 'Well, you have to keep this one.'_

_ He turned so that he could look into her hazel eyes. 'What is it?'_

_ 'Stay here. Over the winter at least,' she answered, 'I know your leg is almost healed, but I don't think you should be traveling alone when the cold weather hits.'_

_ When Clyde looked away, he made a big show out of thinking about the answer. He hemmed and hawed, muttering under his breath about the advantages and disadvantages of each option. _

_ 'Being trapped inside four solid walls, with no escape from the barely tolerable company and food that borders on poison or freezing my fingers off, dodging monsters, and getting lost in a wilderness that I don't know. Hmm, I think I'd have to take the open road,' he laughed. But his mirth was short lived._

_ Reina turned away and wrapped her arms around her knees, bringing them up so she could rest her head upon them. _

_ 'That wasn't funny, Clyde,' she whispered, 'I was being serious.'_

_ Clyde reached out and cupped her chin in his hands. When she looked at him in surprise, he met her hazel eyes with an earnest stare._

_ 'Then I'll be serious too,' he replied, 'I'll stay. I want to stay. If your father won't let me keep bumming off of you guys, I'll rent a room from someone else.'_

_ When she didn't immediately answer, Clyde decided to take a risk. He slowly removed his hands from Reina's chin and placed them on her shoulders. From there he was able to pull her towards him and into an embrace. They had never been this physically intimate before, and in truth Clyde fully expected for her to jerk away and crack him across the jaw. _

_ 'I want to stay,' he repeated when she didn't move away. _

_ Clyde felt a gentle weight as Reina timidly rested her head on his shoulder._

_ 'Promise?' she whispered._

_ 'Promise,' he replied._

He kept that promise. He stayed with Reina and her father over that winter. And the next winter. And the next. Five winters he stayed with the old coot who hated him and the woman who saved his life in more ways than one. He got a lot better at keeping promises over those five years.

"Shadow…" Relm's, not just a girl's, _Relm's_ pleading cry was one of hopelessness now. It was as if she _knew_ he wouldn't answer her. He hadn't before now, so why would that change? If she was nothing to him, why would he care if she was alone?

_You have me. You are not alone._

Shadow took a long look at Interceptor and Sabin as they battled the umpteenth incarnation of Cyan's dream demons. Their rage was making the two of them a near unstoppable force, though they had to forgo sense in order to be so. Neither seemed to realize that if they continued to do the same thing over and over again, they would get the same result. He should join them, or at least do something to try and stop their insanity.

_But not now,_ he thought,_ I have a promise to keep._

0 0 0

Though she tried and tried, Relm could not force the words of another spell through her lips. She could feel that _thing _inside of her. It fed off her sorrow and _laughed_ at her when she tried to cast it out. Even when all her thoughts had been laid bare to her three companions, Relm had never felt violated like this. She was terrified. Terrified and useless and alone. With one last wordless whimper, Relm's knees buckled and she collapsed, curling herself into a ball on the floor next to Cyan's motionless body.

She was so intent on desperately trying to retreat inside herself to a place where she could not feel Wrexsoul that she almost didn't notice when a black gloved hand laid itself on her shoulder.

"Relm!" a voice said. She knew that voice. It was a good voice, a safe voice. She opened her eyes.

"Shadow!" Relm nearly screamed in relief. She scrambled up and threw her arms around the kneeling assassin so that she could bury her face in his shoulder. It did not matter what he had said, it did not matter what he had done. It never mattered. Why? Because he was Shadow, that's why. He was her friend and she should have never doubted him like she did. He was here now, he kept his promise.

"What's wrong, Relm," Shadow whispered.

She pulled away and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I-it's that demon," she whimpered, "it's- it's i-inside me. I-I can feel it."

Shadow let out a startled hiss, but before he could say anything Relm cut him off. "I-it's all wrong and I want it to leave but I can't make it go!" she cried. Relm could not think of any words to describe the feelings of disgust and defilement the demon's presence in her elicited, but with Shadow she hoped that she would not need to. Shadow always understood.

"Shh, girl," he said softly when she began to cry, "Shh, now. It's going to be alright. I'm here now, I'm here." Whether they were empty words or not, he was not sure. But they seemed to comfort the little artist at least somewhat. What could he do? What was it that Wrexsoul said

… _Perhaps I'll return to this form once you've expired._

Against his will the arms that rose up to encircle the still crying Relm began to tremble. No. He could _not_ do that! But … if it was the only way.

He put a hand under Relm's chin and gently forced her to look at him. When her pretty hazel eyes met his own, he held the gaze for a few moments before asking a single question.

"Do you trust me?"

He could not tell where it came from or why it came at all, but the ache in his chest when that tear streaked face rose up and down in a nod nearly caused his heart to stop. He gently let her go and moved to retrieve something from the pouch he kept on at his waist. The pouch that held his poisons.

Relm saw. And she knew. She gulped and let out another little whimper, but did not protest further. His hands moved slowly and methodically, measuring out the contents of a small packet to add to a flask, then taking a tiny vial and slipping a needle thin blade in to cover the steel with _just_ the right amount of the clear liquid.

"This," Shadow said as he presented the flask to Relm, "is an herb that slows the heart. It's painless; the only notable symptom is lethargy. If the initial dose is survived, the body builds a resistance to it." He placed the flask on the floor between them and picked up the poison coated blade. "This is a fast acting stimulant. With precise dosage it will not kill, only accelerate the heart rate. Quickly."

Before he could say anything else, Relm picked up the flask.

"T-this is a dream, right?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, you can't die in dreams, right? If you're about to die, you just wake up? So this will put me to sleep and then I'll wake up … right?"

He wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. But he could not lie to her.

"I don't know," he said, "But this is a dream. There is no reason that should not be the case."

That seemed to be enough for her. At his ascent, Relm drank the contents of the flask in a single swallow. It took her a few seconds before she began to tremble in fear. He opened his arms and she crawled over to him, shivering and whimpering.

"Shadow," she whispered into his shoulder, "I'm scared. I don't want to die."

He rubbed her back and, when he answered the words came out in a defiant growl. "I won't let you."

Sabin and Interceptor's bellows of rage and pain were the lullaby that accompanied Relm into eventual unconsciousness. When she slipped off, Shadow lay her small body on the ground, but kept a tight hold on one hand. It was that hand that he focused on, or, more precisely, the steadily slowing pulse he could feel beneath his fingers.

"Get out," he snarled as Relm's pulse became dangerously faint, "She's dying, damn it, leave her!" But Wrexsoul did not show himself. Shadow's grip tightened around the poison coated blade that he _hoped_ would counteract the powerful depressant Relm had ingested. The demon _had_ to show himself soon! Relm was only breathing in uneven little gasps and her pulse was barely detectable even to Shadow's sensitive touch. In order for the second poison to work, Relm's heart had to be beating. Otherwise the stimulant would sit useless in her bloodstream at the puncture site and she would die.

Under his fingers, Shadow felt Relm's pulse flutter. And then nothing.

"No," he whispered, "No, no, no, gods NO!" The blade of the small knife flashed as he drove the first inch of the tip into Relm's shoulder. Behind him Sabin and Interceptor's cries changed at the appearance of the hellspawn that was the cause of everything, but Shadow did not notice. He was so focused on Relm's unresponsive body that Kefka himself could have been parading about behind him and he would not care. If he lost Relm now… Like this…

_There_. Under his fingers, Relm's pulse made the tiniest quiver. Shadow clutched the artist's hand so tightly that he was half afraid he would break it, and hoped it would be enough. Then it happened again. Weak and fast, Relm's heart began to hammer. She did not wake up, but Shadow had not expected her to. And in the end, it did not matter. _She was alive!_

Shadow lay a hand on Relm's forehead in a silent promise, then stood up. He would kill the thing that made him do this. He would _destroy_ the demon that hurt her!

The only warning Wrexsoul had was the sound of a scroll seal breaking. Shadow leapt for its throat, dodging the Thundara spell the demon sent his way with inhuman agility. For every strike Wrexsoul attempted on the assassin, Shadow retorted with a deadly attack of his own. He danced and dodged around the demon, using the enhanced abilities his Shadow Scroll afforded him to the best of his capabilities.

A shruiken in the neck made the monster flinch.

A blast of flame to the eyes blinded it.

But it was the Ichigeki driving through the cracks in the demon's armor, through a gaseous substance that felt nothing like flesh and blood, that made it scream. Shadow gripped the blade tightly and drove it deeper, twisting it as it went. The demon thrashed in pain, nearly dislodging the assassin, as a reddish haze started to seep from the wound to drift away and dissipate into the air.

"Die," Shadow hissed. Ichigeki tore from the wound and came down one last time, across the area under the demon's chin. The burst of red blinded Shadow for an instant, no unlike the spray of blood which sometimes came from a carelessly split throat, and when it dissipated, the demon was gone.

_You're safe girl_. Ignoring the dazed looks on Interceptor and Sabin's faces, he strode back to Relm's prostrate form.

"Shadow?"

He knelt down and felt Relm's pulse. It was weak and far too fast: but it was _there_.

"What happened? Is she alright?" Shadow tilted his head to regard the monk hovering, concerned, over his shoulder.

_I killed her. But I could not let her die. _That was the truth of the matter, but what he gave Sabin for an answer was a quiet noise of affirmation. She would be alright. She _had_ to be alright!

"This is a dream," he found himself muttering, "Nothing here is real. Nothing that happened here is real." He hadn't poisoned her. He hadn't felt her pulse stop under his fingers. He hadn't left her alone in her sorrow. The scope of his broken, shattered self was still hidden from her view. There was no laughter. No bond so tight that four minds had fought as one, become one, for a brief time. It was only a dream. When he woke up everything would be over.

0 0 0

As was normal, Shadow woke before his companions. With hardly a glance at Sabin, who snored fit to wake the dead, the old man, whose hands formed a relaxed grip around the hardwood staff he insisted on keeping with him whenever the assassin was around, Cyan, who looked peaceful even if some of the creases near his eyes looked as if they were wet with tears, or Relm curled up into a ball under the threadbare blanket, Shadow set about going through his morning routine. First was to take a few pieces of dried meat from his pack and wolf them down. He never knew when the next time he would be able to pull down his mask to eat would be, and always preferred to get in an early meal to ward off his hunger.

Predictably, Interceptor awoke to the sound of meat being chewed and Shadow was obliged to share his meal. While Interceptor watched, Shadow checked every blade on his person, from his shruiken to the Ichigeki, making sure each was secure in its proper place. He held a blade polished to a reflective sheen up to his face and glance at the image it contained. His blue died skin was blotched and fading and his eyes were starting to lose their obscuring cloud. The dye he could do nothing about, but he had the dried leaf that, when mixed with water, became the poison with caused his irises to mist over.

He mixed the poison in a small flask and downed the contents in a single swallow. Sometimes, if the concentrated hard enough, he could notice the almost imperceptible slowing of his heartbeat- a remnant of the once potent poison's effect on a person's body. A person who had not survived the initial dose, that is. His eyes would begin to show another effect in less than an hour.

The small form under the blanket of the bed nearest to him stirred. Shadow quickly pulled up and secured his mask over his face: the last thing he needed was for Relm to get a glimpse of his face, as blotchy and unrecognizable as it would probably be. His haste was well founded, for it was scarcely a minute before the young artist sat up and yawned.

"'Morning, Shadow," she mumbled as she rubbed her sleep clouded eyes with the back of her hand.

He nodded in reply, but his attention was more focused on the irritating stubble scraping against the inside of his mask than on the little artist. He would have to shave, preferably soon.

As he was contemplating if he could slip away to do so, Relm spoke up again.

"Did you dream last night, Shadow?" A muscle in his jaw clenched, but he said nothing. She continued on anyway. "I did. You were in it; you and Interceptor and Sabin. We were trying to save Cyan from some demon."

Shadow's head jerked around in surprise. He had dreamed last night. _That dream_.

"Did we?" he asked, half afraid to hear her answer. _It was a dream_.

"I don't know," Relm confessed. She hopped out of bed and knelt down to rub Interceptor's ears. "First we followed these three monsters that looked like children into Cyan's mind. When we got there, there wasn't any sound, but we could hear each other's thoughts! You didn't like it, but then it got a little better. You even laughed! I've never heard you laugh before!"

_There was no laughter._

"When we fought those monsters, it was amazing! They tried to petrify me, but I had my ring on, so they got Sabin instead. Then you, me, and Interceptor beat them on our own!"

_No bond so tight that four minds had fought as one, become one, if only for a brief time_.

Relm's voice lowered a little before she spoke again. "Afterward … you said some things. And I got angry."

_The scope of my broken, shattered self is still hidden from her view. _

"We chased Cyan through a train, and then through some caves. I … I kept saying mean things to you, because I thought you had broken your promise. Then you stopped talking to me."

_I didn't leave her alone in her sorrow. _

"We got to Doma Castle, except it wasn't in ruins. When we walked around, we saw Cyan," Relm's voice hitched a little, and for a moment Shadow feared she would cry, "And his family."

Shadow's teeth clenched so tight that a jolt of pain shot up his jaw. _It wasn't real! It was a dream. None. Of. It. Was. Real!_

"That's when I wasn't mad at you anymore," Relm whispered, "I think I knew why you said what you said…"

"You don't have to go on," Shadow rasped. But the she did not seem to hear him.

"When we found Cyan, a demon was there too. We tried to fight it and…" Relm whimpered and flinched, not wanting to remember Wrexsoul's presence, even if it had been only a dream. "You saved me."

_I didn't poison her._

"The demon would only leave if I was … dead."

_Her pulse did NOT stop under my fingers!_

"So you gave me something," Relm looked up at him with shining eyes, "and you saved me. That's all I remember."

Shadow took a deep breath and gave voice to his thoughts, as much to comfort himself as it was to do the same to her.

"It was a nightmare," he growled as he patted the mattress in an invitation for her to join him, "Dreams cannot hurt you."

She clambered up beside him and sat down.

"I know," she replied, "But you never answered my question! Did you dream last night?"

A faint smile pulled at the edge of the assassin's lips in response to Relm's query. Like a dog with a bone, Relm would never let something go.

He replied more honestly than he probably should, "If I dream, it's always nightmares. But last night … that nightmare was one of the worst."

She scooted close enough to pat his knee and grinned up at him. "Don't worry! It was only a dream, dreams can't hurt you!"

"I know, girl," he said as he looked down into her pretty …

"Dreams…"

_ No_

…pretty…

"…c-can't…"

…pretty…

"Shadow?"

_It was a dream, it wasn't real!_

"Is everything alright?"

"…no…" Shadow could only whisper in shock as his blue eyes, just beginning to show the effects of the mixture he had ingested earlier, stared down into Relm's cloudyhazel eyes.

0 0 0

No one ever questioned them on what had taken place that night. Even Strago, who woke up to his granddaughter with her arms thrown around the assassin, _crying_, knew better. For Edgar, it was the set of his brother's jaw when the night was brought up that convinced him otherwise. For the rest, the way that Cyan stood, unbowed by pain or sorrow, as he wielded the mysterious katana that appeared by his side was enough to tell them something secret and miraculous had taken place.

For Strago, it was something else. In any other situation he would have bribed, tortured, and killed to know what had upset his granddaughter so much. Whether she wanted it or not, he _would_ have found out what had transpired and punished those responsible. But he did not even make an attempt to do so.

It wasn't on Relm's insistence that he didn't. Nor the way Sabin's held his jaw. Nor the way Cyan swung his sword with a smile. Not even the dog's angry snarls that ensured whenever he broached a topic that the canine's master found touchy were what kept him from his inquiry.

It was a single tear rolling down a killer's cheek as the man looked down at a sobbing child who had made him her protector in the midst of a storm.

0 0 0

_ I don't know how to feel about this chapter. I will say, holy heck is it different from my first couple of chapters. The tone of the story has changed dramatically from what I intended it to be and, to be honest, I think I prefer the darker tone. Although I think I may be going a little overboard with some of Shadow's issues. _

_ I have a less serious next chapter in mind, sort of a break before the next big episode. Because of where they are located, taking a stop in Thamasa would make sense. But I was hoping to get Locke before heading to Hidon's lair. And a stop at Triangle Island is in order. Can't forget Deathgaze either. Blast, now what do I do? _


	16. Ghosts of Thamasa

_As per usual, this has taken me far too long. I apologize, but make no promises for the next chapter. The only promise I will make is that this story will not be abandoned. _

_Thanks to __**HopelessRomanticist**__, __**missiongirl87**__, __**The 666**__**th**__** necrophiliac**__, __**Lizzie the Awesome**__, __**CTSael**__, and __**Kein Sylvan**__ for their kind reviews! And, as always, thank you to __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__ for his beta reading._

_I own nothing. If I did, you'd know._

_0 0 0_

It was a curious thing to be back here _again._ Three times he had sworn to leave and never return. So then why was it that through fate, command, injury, or the direction of the wind that he continued to end up in the tiny town the descendants of the magi called home? In any case, he supposed being here was favorable to hearing Setzer scream challenges to the raging storm as it buffeted the _Falcon_ across the sky. Here the floor didn't buck and shift with every gust of wind. Here there was no grinding engine to make Cyan's face pale with apprehension as its troublesome noises drowned out the thunder itself. Lodgings may be a little tight, with half of their companions squeezing into the tiny inn while the rest slept on chairs, couches, rugs, or, in the case of Gau, under a table in the suddenly too small Magus household, but at least it was safe.

Shadow peered through the window to watch the lightning flash across the sky. A particularly close strike was so bright it seared his eyes, but he did not look away. The light. The pain. It was something to concentrate on. If he kept his mind on the storm, he could not remember. But, against his better judgment, the dark assassin found himself heading for a worn looking armchair. Before too long his view of the lightning obscured by his slowly closing eyelids. He had told himself he could not sleep tonight. But what he wanted and what was to be so had never coincided well.

_0 0 0_

'_Clyde.'_

_He shifted a bit in the chair, but declined to open his eyes._

'_Clyde!'_

_This time the voice was accompanied by a heavy weight settling on his legs. His left eye popped open and took in the young woman sitting on his knees. She looked at him with a teasing grin. He opened his right eye as well so he could better meet those teasing hazel eyes._

'_You were asleep,' she accused._

'_Dozing,' he corrected, stretching as much as he could with Reina on his lap, 'I was only dozing.'_

_She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder so she could better whisper in his ear, 'What would Papa say if he saw you sleeping in _his_ chair?'_

_A bark of laughter was the only reply he was willing to give. It was rather obvious that the old coot hated him, the young interloper who had moved into his house and his daughter's heart. Thankfully he was gone, for the moment; out on another adventure with a friend of his, seeking some monster or another. It was a welcome respite. _

_Without warning he threw his arms around the woman's waist and pulled her off his lap and into the chair next to him. It was a tight squeeze, but neither of them had any qualms about being close. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other's company with nothing to divert their attention. Such moments were few and far between and they both savored them. _

_A muffled barking from outside broke the silence._

_She looked up at him. "Did you hear about the mayor's dog?" He shook his head. _

"_She's in whelp. He's positive the pups are Rex's get." This got a little smile out of him. The old black dog who had led his mistress to the dying man in the center of town was the reason for all this. If not for him… He really would have to thank the dog someday. But that day wouldn't come for a long, long time. Rex had died just two weeks ago, an old dog, but one who thought he was still young. The residents of Thamasa could have driven off that monster just fine on their own, but Rex would have none of it. The stress of the chase had been too much for the dog's heart. He dropped midstride and was gone by the time they reached his side. _

_He pulled her into a comforting embrace. "We'll get a pup from him," he told her, "A male. One that looks just like Rex."_

_She smiled and curled up closer to him. After a moment he felt her hand grasping his and moving it to the bulge of her stomach._

"_He can grow up with our baby, like Rex grew up with me."_

_0 0 0_

Shadow looked so calm, so at peace with himself, that everyone took as much pains as possible not to wake him. But, as always, something brought him into awareness. With a noise that sounded like a yawn, the dark assassin woke and stretched. His sleep clouded eyes peered around the room looking confused. Then he caught sight of a brightly clothed small form with a large black and brown dog following closely at her heels as she bounced into the room. Any lingering happiness from the dream fled in an instant.

"Good morning, Shadow," Relm chirped. When he didn't reply, she came to him and took up a seat on the chair's arm. "I said, good morning!"

He couldn't take it. Not here. Not after that dream. In one swift movement Shadow stood up, nearly knocking Relm off her perch then strode out the door. For the first time in a long time, Shadow realized that he did not care if what he had done caused Relm pain. He just needed to get away.

Something warm bumped against his hand, prompting Shadow to look down. The Interceptor had followed him. He always followed him. Shadow kept walking, but rather than exit the town to roam the surrounding forest, he turned and headed back towards the houses. When he passed the largest, a grey muzzled hound dog limped out from the shade of a tree and let out a raspy growl. Interceptor cocked his head in her direction, but otherwise did not respond. The old girl was no threat to him or his boss. Besides, he was needed _here_ at his boss's side. He was relatively certain that his boss was safe, but Interceptor wanted stay close, just in case. When his boss was distracted like this someone could hurt him. It had happened before and Interceptor did not want it to happen again.

_0 0 0_

_ He didn't see the old coot's staff coming until it was too late. The hard wood slammed against the side of his face, the force of the blow knocking him right off his feet. He sat up slowly and put a hand to his face. It came away wet with blood._

_ "Get out of my house!" the old man screamed. _

_ Rather than dignify the man with a reply, he stood up and silently glared. When the staff was raised again, his arm snapped forward and grabbed the old man's arm. This close. He was _this close_ to taking that bloody stick and breaking it over his knee. But instead he pushed the man aside and strode past, stopping to stand next to the man's horrified daughter. His newest friend, a black and brown puppy who had yet to be named, followed closely at his heels, letting out worried whines with every breath. _

_ He gently pushed the woman away when she made to look at his bleeding head and fixed her father with a steely glare._

_ "You didn't let me finish," he rasped. The old man's complexion darkened to a deep angry purple._

_ "What more is there to say, you careless, manipulative, selfish-"_

_ He could not deal with this man any longer._

_ "STOP IT!" he roared. To his surprise, the old coot's mouth stayed open, but no words came out. Much better. _

_ He looked the man straight in the eye and continued in a soft, but firm tone of voice. The same voice he used when working with the puppy. "You said that I had better take responsibility for my actions and marry your daughter. I told you no." _

_ The old man looked as though he were about to butt in, but a hard look silenced him. _

_ "I will not marry your daughter because I got her pregnant. But," he looked over at the young woman who found herself in the middle of this. The woman who saved his life and his mind. His friend. "If she'll have me, I will marry her. Not because of your gods damned propriety. Because I love her."_

0 0 0

It was only when Interceptor swung his body in front of him that Shadow noticed he had been about to walk headlong into the burned out foundations of the old storehouse.

"Good dog," he muttered as he leaned down to stoke Interceptor's ears. The dog woofed in response, then took a few tentative steps in the direction of the Magus's house.

"Okay, boy," Shadow replied, "We can go back."

When he opened the door, he fully expected to be met with a series of glares and a harsh word or two about his behavior. The old coot was surprisingly fearless when on his home ground. But the only things that fell upon him were the curious glances of his companions as the door squeaked open. Oddly enough it was Gau who approached him first, his eyes bright and happy and a bowl of some sort of brownish porridge in his hands.

"Shadow! You let dog try this?" Gau asked, indicating to the bowl, "He like! Mr. Thou good cook!"

Shadow almost snickered, knowing what Sabin would say if he had heard the wild boy refer to him by that name. With a nod he conveyed his approval. Gau's face split into a teeth barring grin and he set the bowl down where Interceptor dug into it enthusiastically.

"See! See!" Gau yelped, "He like!"

Why this sudden friendliness, Shadow wondered. Gau had always treaded with caution around him before; treating him like a young dog treated an older, stronger, unpredictable pack member. Since his injury in the cave on the Veldt the wild boy had been a little more confident in his actions around the assassin. But he had never acted like this.

"I thought you were afraid of me."

Gau looked up at him curiously. "You strong. Stronger than Gau. You dangerous. Gau not want get hurt."

"But not now?" Shadow asked.

Gau shook his head. "Relm say you dangerous because you sad. She say we all be nice to you, even if you not nice to us. Gau think, maybe me be nice and you no be sad!"

Relm. Of course it was Relm.

After a moment of thought, he couldn't resist asking, "Do you think I'm sad?"

Gau cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes as he thought.

"On Veldt I see boss wolf who lose whole pack. He stop hunting and get real mean. Gau try hunt for him, but he no eat. You like him."

Shadow let out an amused snort. "I'm not starving myself." Although he couldn't blame the boy for thinking so, as Gau had probably never seen him eat.

"Gau know that," the boy replied, "You want live now."

For someone who had lived the first thirteen or so years of their life being raised by beasts, Gau was remarkably attuned to humans and their emotions. Or maybe it was because of this that he was able to see things that others either couldn't, or didn't want to.

_You want live now_.

How … Shadow barely restrained himself from visibly flinching. How … true.

"I sure as heck hope he wants to live!" a familiar voice shouted from the kitchen area. A few moments later Sabin poked his head through the door and grinned at them. "He's the only one of us who can hunt food without freezing, roasting, poisoning, or destroying it!"

He motioned for them to follow, which they did, though Shadow with some trepidation. There was no room in the kitchen for three more beings, with four chairs at the small table being filled by Strago, Cyan, Setzer, and Celes, the Figaro twins lounging by the stove near a pot of what must have been the porridge Interceptor wolfed down, the huge furry bulk of Umaro squeezed almost comically into the far corner while Mog perched on his shoulder, and Relm flitting about in what little space there was left. But when Interceptor slunk under the table to sniff out crumbs, Gau sidled up to Umaro, and Shadow leaned against the doorframe, they managed.

It wasn't long before the little artist sought out her favorite assassin. He had seen much more upset than usual this morning, and she had to make sure he was alright! But she also knew she had to go about it carefully. From what she could gather, whatever was upsetting Shadow didn't have anything to do with her, or anyone else in the room. Judging by the way the assassin had started to act twitchy and agitated the moment he walked into Thamasa, it almost seemed like it was the _place_ that was making him uncomfortable. But that didn't make any sense. Why would boring old Thamasa of all places distress Shadow so much?

Relm squeezed her way through the crowded room and took up a position on the other side of the door frame, leaning her back against the wood and crossing her arms over her chest in mimicry of the assassin's pose. He didn't look at her.

"Shadow."

Aside from giving the slightest nod of his head, he did not respond.

"Are you feeling better?"

Behind his mask, the corner of Shadow's lips lifted in a small smile. Finally, _finally_, Relm was learning to be tactful! At least, when he was concerned. If it were any of their other companions, Relm would still go after them with a single minded purposefulness, not caring if whatever she said was rude or inappropriate.

"Yes," he replied, "I just needed a walk." The questions burned behind Relm's pretty hazel eyes, but not a single one made its way to her lips. It was almost comical, watching her suppress that natural curiosity.

"Hey, Shadow, you want some?" Sabin asked from across the kitchen, holding up a ladle full of porridge from the still steaming pot. The assassin cocked his head to the side in a silent question. In order to eat he would have to take off his mask, something he was certainly _not _going to do with anyone but Interceptor in sight. Sabin knew that. Shadow was relatively sure the monk was not _that_ dense.

Sabin just grinned and poured him a bowl. "We never see you eat, so that means unless there's nothing but a skeleton under your cloths you live off of whatever you can carry or can catch and cook when we're not around. I'm guessing that includes far too much dried meat than it should."

The assassin gave a small shrug. It may not have a lot of taste, but it was light, easy to carry, and kept him from starving to death.

"That's what I thought. Here, you can eat some real food for a change." Sabin placed the bowl on the table, while Cyan graciously got up and offered Shadow a seat.

"Come, all," Cyan said, "Let us leave Sir Shadow to his meal."

The Doman warrior offered him a smile before striding out of the kitchen. It didn't take long for him to be followed by the laughing Figaro brothers, who assured him that there was no poison in the food, Celes and Setzer, the latter of whom was attempting to strike a bet with the former general as to whether or not the assassin would actually eat what was in the bowl, Umaro and his passengers, which had expanded to include Gau on the shoulder opposite of Mog, and the old coot, who for once didn't shoot him a scorching glare, and Relm. Before leaving the kitchen Relm stopped to look him in the eye.

"Don't take too long," she chided him, "I want to show you around when you're done!" Before he could respond, she was gone, bouncing out the door after her grandfather.

Only Interceptor remained. He was alone. Every single one of his companions had interrupted their morning routine, abandoned their friendly conversation, and vacated the house itself.

Because they wanted him to eat a real meal.

The trembling started in his hands. But it didn't take long before his whole body was shaking. Interceptor sidled up to him with a whine, and it was all Shadow could do to lean on the dog for support as he made his way to a vacant chair. He should not be acting like this! What everyone had done was something so small and trivial that is should not have mattered! But … that was exactly _why_ it mattered. That they had noticed he never ate was unsurprising, but that they should _care_! And go out of their way like this… Shadow clenched his fists and stared at the bowl of porridge. That was something friends would do for a friend. It was something that a … a family would do.

Hands still shaking, Shadow reached up and slowly removed his mask.

0 0 0

One more night in this town wouldn't hurt, they thought. A few more days even, to rest and prepare for whatever awaited them. To their surprise Shadow didn't protest. It was clear he did not like staying in Thamasa, but when Cyan confronted him about it he merely shrugged and growled at the man to leave him be.

Night time was still the worst. Though his body craved rest, Shadow had no desire to slip into the torture of his dreams. Since the night did not see fit to grant him a storm to channel his focus upon, he did the next best thing. Pacing across the lower floor of the old man's house he slipped from room to room, treading around his sleeping companions so as not to wake them. There was little opportunity to practice such things as judging how alert a target was simply by the rhythm of their breathing without putting himself in danger, so he might as well take advantage of an opportunity to do so.

That was how Relm found him, stepping quietly over Gau's legs before silently bounding up to balance on the arm of her grandpa's chair. He must have heard her breathing, or walking, or _something_ because in an instant he leapt from his perch to land lightly in front of her.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

She put her hands on her hips and gave the irritated assassin a defiant stare. "I could ask the same of you!"

When he didn't answer, Relm sighed and gave in. "If you _must _know, I couldn't sleep." There was more to it, of course, but …

Sometimes she swore he could read her like a bloody book. It probably came from having to watch people's every move when he dealt with them to make sure they weren't plotting to strike against him, but Relm liked to think it was because he somehow knew her better than anyone else. Shadow's cloudy eyes softened and he cocked his head to the side in a clear question. _What's wrong?_

"It's … hard. Being home after so long," she paused and looked towards the door, "Can we talk outside?"

The masked face nodded and he silently followed her out. They walked through the town in silence, past the houses and remains of gardens that Relm had pointed out to him earlier in the day, past the woods where she and her friends used to play hide and seek, past the burned out ruins of the old storage house, towards the only place that Relm had neglected to take him during their impromptu tour.

General Leo's grave had weathered the cataclysm well, but many of the others were not so lucky. Several stones had been cracked, others were overturned entirely. Relm padded past those to a small plot on the far side where the stones seemed relatively unharmed. But when the little artist halted by a grey stone that was more recent than some and older than many, she realized she was alone.

"Shadow?"

He stood on the cemetery's edge, stiff and unmoving. Of all the places they could have gone to talk, why did she bring him here? Something inside him gave a sharp twist. _Sorrow, loss, pain._ He forced the feelings away with a silent snarl. He could _not_ allow the memories and everything associated with them to resurface! If he did they would drag him down and make him their thrall.

_You fear they will break you._

This voice Shadow threw back with an audible growl. He had thought himself rid of it after Doma Castle.

_How can they break what is already broken?_

"Shadow?" Relm called again. She had made her way back through the field of stones to where the assassin stood.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, "Are you coming?"

Something about the stiff way he held himself and his complete lack of a response struck Relm. Had it not been Shadow she was dealing with, she would have almost called the manner fearful.

She shot a bright, joking smile his way. "Don't worry! I'll protect you from any ghosts!"

It was a jest, Shadow knew. She could no more protect him from the ghosts he feared than his own blades could. But somehow, it didn't matter. He let out a soft laugh, just loud enough for the little artist to catch. And he followed her.

They stopped where he knew they would, in front of that same stone she had stood by before coming back for him. It had not survived the cataclysm unscathed: a chunk of the top was missing and a large crack ran almost all the way through it. But it was not enough to obscure what was written.

_Reina Magus Arrowny_

"This is my mommy," Relm whispered. Beside her Shadow shifted uncomfortably, but didn't say anything. There was little he could say. The memory of Relm's arms wrapped around him as she sobbed into his chest came to him unbidden, but not unexpected. They had both been in pain then, her emotionally and him physically. He could see the pain in her face now as she tried to force back tears.

A half step to the side was enough to allow Shadow to put an arm around the little artist's shoulders.

"Pain lets you know that you are human," he rasped, keeping his eyes fixed on the cracked stone before them, "Do not be ashamed to cry."

Relm gave a hiccupping sob in return and let the tears fall. It was stupid she knew. It had been so long and she had been through so much that something like this shouldn't bother her. But it wasn't just her mother that she cried for. It was her home that she could no longer think of as home. It was for her friends that she couldn't call her friends. It was everything about Thamasa, the place she had grown up in and loved, still loved, but that could never be the same. How long she and Shadow stood there, Relm wasn't sure. But through it all the silent assassin never moved. He just held her and let her cry.

When the tears finally stopped Relm looked up at Shadow, "Thank you."

The assassin said nothing. His eyes were still fixed on her mother's grave.

"I think she would have liked you."

This got Shadow's attention. At least, she thought it did. His head jerked towards her slightly, as if she had surprised him.

"You're my friend," Relm stated in answer to Shadow's unspoken _why_, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The assassin's reply was so quiet that Relm wasn't sure she was supposed to hear it at all. "I shouldn't be."

Not long ago this comment would have brought shouts of anger from the young artist. But now, after everything Shadow had shared with her, they opened the gates for the feeling of sorrow that flowed through her. She didn't know what Shadow had gone through to hurt him so badly and she probably never would. Not that she wouldn't stop trying to find out, of course! But not now. Pushing him now would only make things worse. Relm straightened her back and squared her shoulders. Shadow had comforted her so many times; maybe she could do the same for him.

"You promised me that you would never leave." When Shadow looked down at her curiously, his foggy blue eyes meeting her own hazel ones, she continued. "Now I want to make a promise to you. I promise that I'm not going to leave _you._ I'm not going to stop being your friend and I'm _not_ going to die! Not until you're cold and buried anyway!"

"You can't promise that," Shadow replied. His tone was full of sorrow, but his eyes held just the barest hint of amusement. Relm could act as mature as she wanted; when it came down to it, she was still a child.

"I can and I will!" she retorted.

The assassin did not make a sound, but Relm could feel the subtle vibrations in his chest that she took as silent laughter. It was hard, even for him, to stay locked in the stark emptiness of his broken self when the young artist made a determined bid to drag him out. Once he would have hated her for it, had hated her for it every time she tried. But now, Shadow realized with more than a little surprise, he welcomed it. There was pain, as there always had been and always would be. A pain that had he allowed himself to ever emerge completely he was sure would overwhelm him. Even now he could feel himself walking a thin line between breaking and shutting down every feeling once more.

Relm pulled away slightly as she rooted through her pocket. With a happy cry she pulled whatever it was she had been searching for out and offered it up for Shadow to see. He leaned forward and stared blankly at the thick golden band that rested in the palm of her hand.

"I found it today. Well, Interceptor found it really. He started scratching at the wall and a board came off and this was behind it. I grabbed it before grandpa could see." the assassin's face twitched ever so slightly, but Relm chose to ignore it, "It looks just like my mommy's ring, and I think it has the same kind of protective spells. I want you to have it."

Barely daring to think, never mind speak, Shadow stepped back. Very slowly, he shook his head.

"Why not?" Relm practically yelped.

"Keep it," Shadow rasped, pointedly ignoring her question.

"No," Relm retorted, setting her face in a defiant stare.

"Give it to Cyan."

"No."

"Celes could use it."

"No."

"Give it to the yeti for all I care!"

"No!" Relm snapped, "If you don't take it I'm going to throw it into the ocean!"

Shadow paused, his eyes becoming unreadable. Then he angrily snatched the ring from her hand and slipped it into a pouch on his belt. Relm smiled. That ring, if the enchantments were anything like the ones on her mothers, would protect Shadow against some of the most dangerous spells in the world. She probably should have shown it to her grandpa first, but … the ring didn't look like it would fit anyone else anyway! It was most definitely a man's ring, but too small for Sabin, Cyan, or even her grandpa's gnarled fingers. And Gau, Setzer, and Edgar would just get it dirty. Shadow would have ended up with it anyway, she just shortened the process!

It seemed odd that the assassin would be upset by being offered a simple gift. But Relm decided that it must have something to do with either manly pride or Shadow's aversion to friendship. Either way, everything would be fine soon enough.

"Let's go back."

The assassin growled an affirmative and whirled away to stride out of the cemetery. Relm had to jog to catch up, but when she did Shadow quickly slowed his pace to a manageable level. The young artist looked up at him with those big hazel eyes.

"Thank you, Shadow."

He sighed. The gods truly must hate him.

"I promised. I won't break that promise."

Everything would be fine.

_0 0 0_

_ Well, my plan for a happy chapter got thrown out the window. Maybe next time… I don't like this chapter nearly as much as the last one. Even as a bridging chapter I think it was weak. I'm sorry about that. _

_Reviews are welcome!_


	17. Hidden Power

_As a very __**The Full Moon **__eloquent British actor from the classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail , once said, "I'm not dead yet!" I give you all another longer chapter, one that brings back the action! And, once again, I apologize for taking so long._

_A huge thank you to __**Shadowdrake Magi**__, __**HopelessRomantacist**__, __**CTSael**__, __**missiongirl87**__, __**The 666**__**th**__** necrophiliac**__, __**Kein Sylvan**__, __**Delaroy**__, __**Fethiel**__, , __**ChaoticRevival**__, __**Anatherin**__, and __**Brendan Aurabolt**__ for their kind reviews! And, as always, thank you to my beta reader __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__!_

0 0 0

Shadow just managed to dodge the _Slow_ spell aimed at his head. He put on a burst of speed to bring him across the town green towards his attacker. Leaping over a hastily cast _Blizzara_ he growled out the words to a _Silence _spell. He released the spell with only a moment to set his target, but the sudden cutting off of his opponent's voice let him know that his attack had hit its mark. The assassin slowed and turned. He couldn't help the satisfied smirk that formed on his lips as he watched Strago's lips mouth terrible curses, but without sound to drive them home. Calmly padding over to irate mage Shadow removed Ichigeki from its sheath and placed it on the cloak covered shoulder.

"Dead."

Without even pausing to let out another silent curse the old coot whirled away and stormed back towards his house. Shadow let out a snort and re-sheathed Ichigeki. The old man shouldn't have expected an easy fight, even if the stipulation was that only magic could be used. The coot had a lifetime of experience behind him, but Shadow was younger, faster, and knew how to fight magic users as effectively as any other enemy.

Relm must have passed her grandfather on his way into their home because she approached Shadow with a scowl on her face. The assassin tried to ignore her for as long as possible, keeping his attention focused on the blade he had sat down to sharpen. But when Relm ignored even Interceptor's dedicated begging for pats in favor of glaring at the seated assassin, Shadow had little choice but to look up.

"What happened?" she practically shouted at him.

Shadow just shrugged. "Your grandfather challenged me to a casting battle. He lost."

Relm's eyes widened at his response. "I'm impressed," she said, taking a seat next to the assassin, "That makes six."

"Six?"

"Six losses," the artist replied. On a whim she took out a brush and sketched a dragonfly. As it buzzed off she explained further. "Grandpa has been challenging everyone to fights. He lost each one that was accepted."

Shadow could imagine that the old man having a good bit of difficulty defeating Terra, who had an inborn talent for magic or Celes, whose intense training from a young age had made her exceptionally skilled at the technical aspects of the art. Even Sabin, whose lack of skill could sometimes be made up for by pure power and enthusiasm. But then who else? He did not have to wait long for his answer.

"I don't think he really expected to win against Terra and Celes, but I know he hoped to! Then losing to Sabin, Gau, Setzer, and now you! Maybe Grandpa really is losing his touch…" Shadow hadn't considered Gau, but thinking about it now he could see how the wild boy could be a difficult opponent for the old coot to face. Though magic was not his forte, the boy did have experience copying similar abilities from various monsters. And his fighting style was different than anyone else Shadow had ever seen; erratic, uncontrolled, and entirely unpredictable. It was surprisingly effective in certain situations. How Setzer could win a casting battle of all things was a mystery. Luck must have truly been on the gambler's side. Luck and perhaps a few sleight of hand tricks.

As Shadow tried to imagine what sorts of ways Setzer had used to cheat his way to victory Relm continued to muse aloud. "I think Grandpa has just lost confidence in himself. He _has_ been talking about being old lately. But just because he's an old fuddy-duddy doesn't mean he's useless! Right Shadow?"

"Hmm?" The assassin had not really been listening. He determined that Setzer most likely had one of the group's precious enchanted ribbons tied on under his coat, as well as two or three other relics that would have increased his speed, reaction time, and possibly casting ability. It wouldn't be beyond consideration for him to have been slipping a Reflect Ring on and off in the midst of the duel. He would have to ask the gambler about it later.

"Shadow!" Relm's insistent voice tore him away from those thoughts.

"Yes?"

She put her hands on her hips and let out an annoyed huff. "Grandpa's not useless. Right?"

Had the question been asked by anyone else, Shadow would have answered with a definitive yes. But he could not lie to her. It took him a moment to reply with a truthful answer that kept his scorn and dislike for the old man to a minimum.

"No," Shadow grudgingly growled, "He's lived a long time and gained a lot of experience. His magic might not be as strong as it once was, but he's an expert on monsters, more than any of us will ever be. Without him we wouldn't be able to travel half as safely or fight those monsters nearly as well." It was all true. A lifetime of studying monsters had left the old man an expert in the field. Even new creatures that appeared after the breaking of the world were quickly observed and cataloged in the coot's mind, then later written down in a comprehensive bestiary now kept in his quarters on the _Falcon_. Sometimes when excited by a new find the old man would spout off some drivel about getting copies made for libraries in some of the major cities. Then he would remember that those cities, Vector, Jidoor, South Figaro, Doma, had much more pressing concerns than books.

"I knew it!" Relm exclaimed. She hopped up and snapped her fingers, drawing a yawning Interceptor to her side. "I'm going to think of a way to bring his confidence back! Maybe Gau will help me. Come on Interceptor!" The little artist and the dog bounded off without another word, leaving Shadow sitting alone under the tree. _Silly girl_, Shadow thought as he watched her disappear into the trees on the outskirts of town in search of the wild boy. He could follow her … but Interceptor would keep her safe. Of that he was certain. Shadow put away his knife and whetstone, then leapt for a low hanging branch. He swung himself up, then repeated the process until her was on the highest branch the tree could offer that still supported his weight. Leaning back against the trunk, Shadow closed his eyes. He had not slept at all last night and the strain was beginning to tell. Within moments he was dead to the world.

0 0 0

_One of the two older men poked a finger at the puffy half healed skin around his shoulder wound, causing him to let out an involuntary hiss of pain. They had been at this for near twenty minutes and there seemed to be little that would keep them from stopping until they had identified the source of every single one of the bites and scratches. _

"_Definitely a bite from a vector hound," the big one asserted. _

"_It can't be," the smaller, and slightly older, one argued, "The punctures aren't spaced far enough apart." _

_He could have described exactly what sort of monster it was that had taken hold of his shoulder and shaken him like a ragdoll, but they would have none of it. It ruined the fun, they said, if they could not guess the source of the wound without any outside information. He wondered why the men could not have done this when his wounds were fresher. He had been unconscious for nearly three days after all! They would have had plenty of time to examine the injuries then and he wouldn't have had to listen to their mindless prattle! While the fools continued to prod at his back, now concentrating on a set of scars he had received years ago from some beast's claws, he stared at the door, willing the older fool's daughter to come home and chase the two away. _

"_What are you doing?!" As if to answer his silent prayers the girl had waltzed in through the front door and was already chewing out his tormentors. "You were supposed to have left an hour ago! Go hunt that monster and leave the poor man alone!" She shooed the men off, finally, _finally_, giving her patient the chance to slip back into the silent embrace of sleep. _

0 0 0

The mayor's old dog woke him with her insistent barking. She had been on edge since the batch of adventurers had arrived two days prior, so Shadow was not surprised at her hostile behavior. Until he noticed that it was _Relm_ she was barking at. But she wasn't alone. A battered looking older man, in leather armor that had seen far better days leaned on her shoulder. He staggered and nearly fell, only Relm's support keeping him on his feet.

Just as Shadow was about to leap down and go to her aide, Relm let out a shout. "Grandpa!" He paused. The old man's head poked out of the door to his home scant moments later.

Relm and the stranger took a few more staggering steps forward. "This is terrible! Gungho's hurt!"

He could not see, but Shadow could imagine the old coot's eyes widening as he stammered the man's name. Then he rushed out to join his granddaughter, wrapping the man's free arm around his shoulder for support as they made their way to the house. Shadow waited until he was sure that no one would be emerging from the house before he left the tree. But still he didn't go inside. Not even when, sometime later, Interceptor slunk from the growing evening shadows to join him did he entertain the idea. He didn't want any part of this.

0 0 0

Strago could not believe the direction the day had taken. What had started out as a fine morning quickly turned sour with each "friendly" bout of casting he initiated and subsequently lost. Especially when the gambler and that, that, _assassin_, bested him! And now his oldest and closest friend staggers into town, barely able to breathe, let alone walk, and not even his most powerful _Curaga_ seemed to have any sort of effect on Gungho's condition.

The man coughed and moaned as he rolled under the sheets on Strago's bed.

"Gungho, wake up!" Strago pleaded. He reached out and took hold of his friend's gnarled and callused hand. From the other side of the room Relm sat and watched. She had known Gungho since … since forever! The adventurer was her grandpa's oldest and dearest friend. They used to hunt monsters together, until her daddy left. She was so young that her grandpa wouldn't even think of leaving her alone while he went on the sometimes weeks long hunts. Relm blinked and smiled. This was how she knew her grandpa loved her. He gave up his greatest passion so that he could take care of her. By the time she thought herself old enough to stay on her own (which _everyone_ protested) Strago's reflexes had dulled and Gunho's sword arm grown weak. Neither one believed themselves to be in any condition to hunt like they used to.

Beside the bed, Strago was encouraged when his old friend opened his eyes.

"What did this to you?"

When he answered, the old adventurer's voice was very weak. "It was … Hidon." Strago let out a gasp and his grip on Gungho's hand became unintentionally vice like. Gungho winced and continued. "The beast you and I used to hunt. I almost had it…"

Shock, fear, uncertainty, and even a little jealousy crossed Strago's features. But to Relm's surprise, her grandpa's reply was not the loud squawk she expected, but an astonished whisper with just a touch of doubt.

"You took on Hidon …?"

Before Strago could launch into the tirade of questions that Relm just _knew_ he was itching to ask, Gungho let out an agonizing moan. He rolled away from the blue mage, pulling his hand from Strago's grasp as he did.

"G…Gungho?!"

"Strago…" He had to strain to catch his friend's whisper. "Please … you must avenge me … Oooh …" After a few wrenching coughs Gungho quieted. He still breathed, but otherwise was silent. Strago sat back and stared. Him? Take on Hidon? He and Gungho had spent years searching for that legendary beast. Twice they had come oh so close, only to be turned away by the brutal waters that covered Ebot's Rock. Now Ebot's Rock was uncovered, but did that make a difference? He wasn't the mage he once was and he didn't have his closest friend and partner to back him up. Hell, he was _old_!

No, he couldn't do it. If he couldn't take on Hidon as a young man in his prime, there was no way he could even think of doing it now. Relm saw the look on his face. It was one of defeat and resignation. She could almost hear him lamenting his incompetence.

"Gramps!" She hopped out of the chair she was perched on and stood by her grandpa's shoulder. "Why are you hesitating?"

Her grandpa let out a sigh as he turned to answer. "Well … I spent my youth chasing that creature. To do it again at this age is more than I bargained for."

To say that finding Hidon had been a desire for Strago was an understatement. It was an obsession. Ever since hearing about the elusive monster that no one had ever seen but almost every dedicated scholar believed existed Strago had been determined that it would be he who found it. Gungho was similarly enthralled, but not to quite the same extent. He was in it for the hunt, the impossibility of it all, the adventure. Strago was in it for all that as well, but beyond that was the deep, burning desire to discover something that no one else had, to be the only one to discover it and the only one that ever would! During his younger years it had possessed him, sometimes to the point of madness. Only a sad accident, which left him the guardian of his sister's only daughter, nine years old at the time, kept him from being utterly consumed.

When his little girl, she would always be his little girl not just his niece, grew up he started the chase again, albeit with more temperance. Hunts took a few weeks, not months. And they had come close. So close he could swear that they had seen the shadow of the beast before them. Then Relm came. And his little girl died. And Relm's deadbeat father left without a second glance. He had to take care of his granddaughter, not gallivant across the world chasing a monster.

He didn't regret a single decision. Being there for Relm and her mother was greater than any monster hunt. But … to be presented with the chance again, after so many years. Strago felt the flames of his obsession flare inside of him. Gungho coughed and moaned again. Setting his jaw, he reached down to grasp the staff lying by the chair and used it to boost himself up. That beast had hurt his friend. Things were personal now.

"Gungho … rest easy, I'll do it for you!"

The dramatic whirl and subsequent striding out of the room and down the stairs was subdued by the fact that Strago's "striding" was more of a stiff gaited arthritic affair than anything and his cloak end tangled helplessly around the staff when he spun. But even so, Relm could practically feel the dedication and resolve emanating from her grandfather. She could not resist smiling as she followed him down the stairs.

She caught him at the bottom of the stairs where he had stopped to untangle his cloak.

"Grandpa! Just a minute!" He looked up at her in surprise. She stopped several stairs up so that she could look him in the eye without any trouble and put her hands on her hips. "You don't think you're going alone, do you?"

Strago sighed. He had suspected something like this would happen. But he knew firsthand the difficulty and danger involved in this quest and he _would not_ have Relm dragged into it!

"I spent too many years hunting that thing. It's my obsession, not yours."

Relm had suspected something like _this_ would happen. As much as the two men hated each other, she could really see the similarity between her Grandpa and Shadow sometimes. Both were exceptionally proud, and neither wanted to put others in undue danger when they thought they could face it alone. She could not let her grandpa go alone. She had almost lost him once and, by the gods, she was not going to lose him again!

"But Grandpa!" she put on her saddest pleading face and opened her eyes as wide as they would go, "This 'obsession' of yours could easily slay you! You're my grandfather. I can't just sit idly by and watch you go."

With Shadow, big eyes and a sad face always seemed to work. Not so with her grandpa.

Strago shook his head. "Sorry, Relm. I'm so grateful that you care! But as its name implies, the Hidon is extremely difficult to find. Unless I go alone, it will not show itself."

That was bullshit. Strago had hunted the beast for years with Gungho by his side. But, for once, Relm was not going to argue. She knew that, if faced with the choice, her grandpa would abandon the hunt rather than see her get hurt. And he couldn't do that. Not this time.

Very slowly, Relm nodded. Her grandfather's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't question his good fortune.

"Next stop, Ebot's Rock."

Relm waited until her grandpa had left the house before letting out a relieved sigh.

0 0 0

He barely considered the old man a companion, so why had he allowed himself to be talked into hiding in a broom closet on the _Falcon_ while the gambler reluctantly flew the coot over to a sea-swept rock? Shadow growled to himself and shifted where he stood, trying to find a position where cleaning supplies did not poke into his back. It was Relm's fault, of course. Anyone else he would have blown off their request with a glare and, if he was feeling talkative, a scathing remark. Her he could only follow. If he did not she would have gone anyway and would probably get herself killed for her troubles.

"I think we're here," Relm whispered from the other side of the closet. Though the _Falcon_'s engines had not stopped the thud of the main hatch opening sent a shudder through the ship's frame and they could even catch snatches of the gambler and his passenger conversing. Soon the hatch slammed shut and the engine started to whine.

It was time to leave. The three companions, artist, assassin, and dog burst from the closet and made for the stairs leading to the _Falcon_'s main deck. For the umpteenth time Shadow wondered why they had to sequester themselves in a closet when their rooms were much closer and, with locked doors, made for just as good a hiding place. Dramatics, he supposed. Not that much else was needed in terms of such things, if the slack jawed expression on the Setzer's face was to be believed as he watched the three forms, two large and black, one small and bright, vault over the railing of the _Falcon_'s main deck to fall to the ground right under the old man's nose. By the time Setzer managed to snap to his senses the _Falcon_ had risen over a hundred feet higher than was needed. He set the ship to hover and sauntered over to the railing. Peering over he could just make out four dots staining the uniform brown that was the old man's silly rock. If he looked really close he could imagine he saw the red one shaking in fury. He laughed.

Setzer was still laughing as he swung the airship back towards Thamasa.

0 0 0

"Y-you!?" Strago sputtered, "What are you doing here?!"

Relm picked herself up off the ground and dusted the worst of the dirt from her knees. "Isn't it obvious," she replied, "We're here to make sure you don't get yourself killed!"

"Not a chance young lady!" her grandfather snapped, "You, all of you, are getting right back on that …" Above them the _Falcon_ flew southward, much too far away already for Strago to even think of hailing it down. This certainly posed a problem.

"Fine," he snapped, "You can come. But DO NOT get in my way!" Strago stormed into the crevice that served as the cave's opening without a second glance. He was angry, but Relm hadn't expected any less. Better he be mad as a berserk behemoth than dead!

"Come on!" she chirped before ducking into the darkness of the cave's entrance. Interceptor went first, cautiously sniffing the air before stepping into the darkness. Aside from the pause to sniff, the big dog hadn't hesitated. It was likely he hadn't detected anything worth hesitating for. The cave entrance had been under water for so long that whatever aquatic monsters were in it probably died when it rose above sea level. And its remote location made it a poor choice for any other creatures wanting to settle in. The old man would have been fine if Shadow's assumptions were true. Unless, of course, the legendary Hidon really dwelled here. Of that, Shadow was skeptical. But he promised Relm he would go with her. He couldn't break his promise.

In less than a minute he caught up with Relm and the old man. The coot walked with his eyes straight ahead, as if by not looking at them he could make them disappear. Relm, on the other hand, was peering about intently at the damp wall, much of which still had shriveled patches of seaweed clinging to it. As he expected, there was no other sign of life, hostile or otherwise. The floor sloped gradually down and they had to take care not to slip on the slick stone.

It was not long before the floor leveled off and the source of the cave's unnatural dim lighting came into view. A circular patch of stone glowed with the faint light of old magic. Despite his unwelcome companion's hesitation, Strago walked right in. He had never seen one, but he recognized it from descriptions given in various books as a teleportation portal. The portals were pieces of solid material, most often stone or metal, infused with magic. When entered the portals activated a Teleport spell that transported the person to another similar portal nearby. In ancient times mages set up series of such portals in mines, so that in case of cave in workers had a way to escape and the mine could sometimes continue to be used. Judging by the extremely faded look of the infused spell it did not seem out of the question that this might the remains of one such mine.

The ancient magic took a moment to activate, but when it did everything went off without a hitch. With a bright flash Strago found himself alone, all of his parts in the right places and nothing missing from his person. When he thought about it, storming headlong into the portal without first looking it over for any obvious flaws was exceptionally stupid. Had anyone else, _especially_ Relm, done so, oh boy would he have let them have it! If his granddaughter had not gotten the fool notion into her head to follow him this wouldn't have happened! He wouldn't have been so angry he could barely see straight, never mind think about whether what he was doing was safe or not. If only for once in her life she listened to him! How was he going to take on Hidon now with her and that damned assassin distracting him?!

Behind him the light flashed. Strago turned and, to his surprise, came face to face with the dark assassin. He had been certain that Relm would insist on following him first. Shadow fixed the mage with an icy glare as he stepped out of the portal. With slow, deliberate movements Shadow pulled a shuriken from his belt and placed it in the center of the glowing stone. After a long moment it disappeared with a flash.

"Fool."

"Excuse me!" Strago barked.

Shadow slowly straightened from his crouch and spun to face the older man. "Relm wanted to follow you. If this had killed you, she wouldn't have known."

That was exactly what Strago feared hearing. He knew what he had done was stupid and knew that it very well could have led the others to a terrible fate if the portal failed and he did not set up a method of signaling so as the assassin had obviously done. But to have it told to him, and by that _murderer_ of all people!

"I didn't ask you to come!" he spat.

"But she did," Shadow replied. Did the old coot really think that he was here of his own volition? Not for all the gil in the world would he have consented to keep the old man safe on this ridiculous quest of his. "And you're more of a fool than I thought if you refuse the aide offered."

The words alone were enough to Strago furious. That man saying them was enough to make him irate. But the tone, cold, dismissive, and utterly degrading, was what caused him to snap.

"I'd rather die," Strago shouted, "Than except help from a callous murdering lowlife like you!"

The words did not bother Shadow overmuch. He had been called much worse in the many years he had worked as an assassin.

"Then die," he rasped, "What do I care?"

"Shadow!"

Unbeknownst to the assassin, the portal had flashed once again, this time revealing Relm and Interceptor, the former of which had Shadow's shuriken tucked into her belt.

"I know you don't like Grandpa, but isn't that a little harsh?"

Before Shadow could even give a noncommittal shrug as an answer Strago cut in. The old mage's blood was up and, though he knew it was foolish to have a shouting match in the middle of the possible lair of a deadly beast, he couldn't stop himself.

"You stay out of this, young lady! If you hadn't taken this fool notion of following me into your head, why, why, this would all be irrelevant! You never do what you're told, especially when it's for your own good! And when you go about disobeying me you have to do it with the _least_ respectable character out of all of the rebels, criminals, and wild things that we're traveling with! Out of all of them you chose a _murderer _to help you?! I thought I raised you right!"

"Shadow is my friend!" Relm shouted back, "And at least he knows that when you go into a monster's cave, you don't do it alone!"

This was getting out of hand. "Quiet. Both of you." Shadow growled.

"Don't you order me around!" The only warning Shadow had was a whistling sound as the old man's anger fueled attack sent the end of his staff on a direct course for the assassin's temple. Shadow ducked to the side and grabbed the staff end as it swung past. Taking hold of the wood in both hands he jerked it, and the stubborn coot hanging on to the opposite end, in close.

"I said quiet," he snarled.

A blast of power wrenched Shadow's grip from the staff and propelled him across the narrow cave to slam hard into the wall. The spell was an unfamiliar one, probably one of the old man's self taught techniques inspired by the monsters he studied. Whatever it was, it was enough to crush the breath from Shadow's lungs and leave him stunned for more than a brief moment. When he finally came to his full senses, he could not help the quirking smile that came to his lips when he saw the old man was already half incapacitated.

In what surely must have been a swift and vicious charge Interceptor had knocked the old mage to the ground. The only reason that the dog's jaws were not around the old man's throat was they were instead tightly clenched around the staff Strago used to defend himself from just that fate. The big dog snarled and bit down hard, his teeth puncturing the wood as easily as if it had been leather.

"Interceptor, no! Cease!" Relm yelled. What was the matter with everyone? They were acting like children! Dangerous children capable of murder, but still, children! She knew her grandfather and Shadow did not particularly like each other, but this was insane!

"Have you both gone mad?" she snapped, "Maybe I shouldn't have come. Maybe I should have let _the only family I have left_ get killed on some stupid quest for to prove that he's not _old_! And maybe I shouldn't have asked my friend who happens to be the best fighter I know and has the best chance of_ keeping us alive_ to come along!"

With a disappointed rumble Interceptor let go of Strago's staff and padded over to Shadow's side. The old man rose stiffly from the cave floor, but made no hostile movements. As much as he hated to admit it, Relm … and Shadow … were right. He may not like the situation, but he needed to make the best of it. Stepping back he went to sit down on what at first looked to be a flat stone, but on closer inspection proved to be a worn chest. Curious. Cautiously Strago prodded it with the end of his staff, which he had been intending to inspect for irreparable damage. To everyone's shock, the chest _moved_.

It shook itself, like some sort of legless dog, then the lid popped open. "I'm hungry! Hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry Hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry hungry. Feed me! Otherwise I won't let you by! I like to eat 'Coral'! Have any?"

"A mimic," Strago muttered. What a nuisance. Thankfully this one did not seem aggressive, just annoying. There did seem to be a sort of passageway behind the chest. But Strago was not about to attempt getting by. He knew from personal experience that these things bit _hard_.

"Well, are we just going to stand here or are we going to go find some coral?" Relm chirped, happy to have something to do that would take her grandpa and Shadow's minds away from hating each other! Falling into her customary bouncing walk she moved back towards the teleport portal. "Come on Interceptor!"

The big dog followed her into the portal and for a moment the old mage and the assassin were alone. Strago made a move to follow his granddaughter, but before he could even make a step Shadow's hand shot out and grabbed his cloak where it clasped around his neck, easily shoving the old man against the cave wall. The assassin leaned in close and whispered, "I can kill you without trying. Don't cross me."

"Then why are you here?" Strago retorted, too angry to feel fear.

Shadow's eyes narrowed and his grip around the red fabric tightened. But, rather abruptly, he let go. Stepping back he stared at the person who despised him, feared him. That he hated in turn, for reasons that he was not sure he wanted to or even could name. "You didn't see Relm when you were gone. I won't see her like that again."

0 0 0

From his calculations it had taken them the better part of the day to gather enough coral to satisfy the mimic. Without the sun to mark the passage of time it was difficult to be sure. But if there was one thing that Shadow was certain of, it was this: the old man hated him more than ever. In a way he could understand it. A heartless killer had no place as a grandfather's replacement. Even only a temporary one. And for Relm to continue to keep said killer close must have grated severely on the old man's nerves. Strago feared him. He feared what he could do to him and to his granddaughter. And Shadow did not blame him.

But that did not mean he didn't hate him.

Strago emptied the sack of collected coral into the mimic's mouth one last time. The chest noisily chewed the meal and belched contentedly. "What a feast!" it groaned. If it had the capability to do so Shadow was certain it would be wearing a happy smile. "I'm stuffed."

The three adventurers and their dog stared at the creature expectantly. "Oh, yeah, you wanna pass through here, right?" Why they wanted to do that was beyond the mimic's understanding. All that was in that passage was more empty sea caves and sometimes a big monster or two. But then again, what was it to try to understand the bizarre behavior of humans. Silly creatures. The mimic bounced out of the way, but when it tried to move off to a more comfortable place to digest its dinner something large and vaguely familiar blocked its path.

"Eh! What the…!" Oh, it was just that monster. The mimic thought it remembered the creature coming back a decade or so ago. Surely _this_ wasn't what the humans were after!

The mimic's unusual outburst instantly had Shadow on guard. Even so, he was completely unprepared when four man sized creatures sprang from the formerly blocked passage. One of them hit him full on, bearing the shocked assassin to the ground. The creature's claw lashed out and caught Shadow under the collar bone, ripping through his light armor and into flesh like knives. With the creature's claws still dug in Shadow wrenched his body to the side, dislodging the creature from its perch over him, but not its claws from their grip. In his new position it was possible for Shadow's free hand to tear Ichigeki from its sheath.

"Die!" he snarled as he stabbed the blade into the monster's shoulder area. It was a glancing blow, but the beast writhed and shuddered around the steel. The blade's innate magic was taking effect and tearing life from the monster's body. With the monster in its death throes Shadow was able to rip himself from his grip and lurch to his feet.

Interceptor had cornered one beast and was tearing into it with a vengeance. Relm and Strago stood back to back, one launching spells to keep the remaining creatures at bay, the other frantically tracing the outline of something in the air. The outline abruptly came to life and sprang after its inspiration, one of the monsters. The confusion this attack caused rendered the two easy prey to the mages' powerful spells.

_Good_. Shadow thought as he watched the old coot and artist cast simultaneous Firas to decimate the final creature. _Don't feel so much like fighting right now . . ._ A terrific searing sensation was spreading from his wound. Shadow leaned heavily against the wall. Poison. Strong poison. He barely registered when Interceptor dashed away from the mutilated corpse of his own enemy and came to his side. The big dog whined and tugged insistently on Shadow's hand. He needed to see a healer _now_!

"Easy boy," Shadow whispered. The poison was painful, but Shadow was used to such things. In all likelihood he could ride it out on his own. Over the years he had subjected his body to such a variety of things that his resistance to deadly substances, even those he had no experience with, was uncannily high. He could wait. He could wait. . .

A vicious shriek echoed through the cavern. A giant clawed limb appeared from the passageway, followed by another, and another. With another rending cry the monster's head came into view.

Strago gripped his staff tightly. "That's Hidon!" Relm was shocked to hear what sounded like a tremble of fear in his voice. But, she couldn't blame him. The creature was massive and ugly and very, very angry looking. She took a quick glance at one of the smaller monsters' corpses. Smaller, but almost identical to the creature that was trying to force its way through the passage. Oh shit. Momma's pissed off.

As the creature forced its way into the too small cavern Strago desperately searched his mind for everything he knew about Hidon. But try as he might, he just couldn't remember! He _knew_ he had read treatises discussing the monster's supposed weaknesses, hell, he had written some of them himself! But now that the thing he searched for all these years was in front of him and all his effort had finally borne fruit, his mind was blank.

"Grandpa!" Relm screamed. This was _his_ beast, he knew more about this thing than anyone in the world! But he did nothing! How was she supposed to help him if he didn't do anything?

_Fools_. How could Relm and Strago just _stand there_ when the focus of their hunt was in such a vulnerable position? Shoving himself off the wall Shadow started towards the creature in a jog that because of his disabled state reminded him a of controlled stagger. Sheathing Ichigeki, Shadow then grabbed a shuriken from his pouch with his right hand. His left was too swollen to handle such intricacies. The metal star whistled from his hand and embedded itself in the monster's neck.

The sudden pain only hastened the creature's attempts to squeeze into the cavern. With a howl and a spray of stone it succeeded.

"Out of the way!"

Strago suddenly found himself falling. He hit the floor with a thud and several creaks and cracks he knew were not normal. _I really am too old for this_. Hoisting himself into a sitting position Strago just managed to catch a dark, staggering form shove Relm away so that it alone was in range of Hidon's wrath. _Shadow?_ The assassin was swaying back and forth and his entire left side was disproportionately large. Strago had no doubt that the skin beneath was some shade between dark purple and black. _Erebus venom: fast acting and deadly if not treated, but relatively easy to negate. Causes rapid swelling, loss of coordination, and feelings of nausea_.The assassin had to know he was ill! But still he flung himself into the monster's path!

With only one arm capable of throwing shuriken Shadow was unable to keep the monster at range from very long. Interceptor joined the fight with a snarl, the viciousness of the attack giving Shadow the time to draw Ichigeki before the monster came in too close. Much of the pain had given way to numbness. For that Shadow was grateful. But he also knew that this proved the poison stronger than he had originally thought. He shouldn't be fighting like this. He should be resting, using every bit of his willpower to fight the creeping death in his veins. Or … he could just give in. It would be so easy to just let it take over and drag him down into the sweet, sweet, nothingness of death.

_NO! _The thought spurred him. With an uncharacteristic shout he flung himself back into the monster's path. _I CANNOT LET IT BY! _He was not the only one here. He was not the only one that mattered.

The final words of _Curaga_ left Relm's lips an instant after the monster's let out another wavering shriek. Space itself seemed to condense and warp in the cavern's center. The unnatural space suddenly expanded, trapping those unfortunate enough to be close within its boundaries. Shadow and Interceptor. Two screams of agony echoed through the cave as unseen forces twisted and warped her friend's bodies in ways that no living thing could possibly endure. It was over quickly, Shadow and Interceptor dropping where they stood. The silver light of the healing spell bled away into the ground.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Relm howled. She _would not_ let this happen! Quickly cast _Thundara_ spells hammered Hidon, keeping the monster backing away and letting Relm steadily approach her fallen companions. "Grandpa, help me!"

_Grand Delta_, _an attack with the power to distort matter itself for a brief period of time. The existence of this attack is questioned, as no other known monster has an ability comparable._ Strago could say with absolute certainty that the attack was in no way a myth. It was … it was … _fantastic_! In all the years he had hunted this creature he had never imagined that it wielded such power! The magical energy needed to do such a thing was immense; somehow simultaneously in complete control and utterly wild. A shell of shielding energy, similar to _Reflect_ or _Protect_, surrounding a core of unbridled unfocused magical power. In the small space the power ran absolutely mad, distorting everything within it for a brief period of time. It was brilliant!

"Grandpa!"

Strago used his staff to help him off the ground and began to advance on the beast. It was all coming back to him now. Every word he had read, everything he had discovered about Hidon was returning. _By the blood of the magi that runs through my veins, I _will_ defeat this thing! _

Relm's rapid cast spells seemed like nothing compared to the massive torrent of flame that burst from Strago's staff. Hidon reared back and screamed in pain, giving Relm the perfect opportunity to dash the remaining distance to Shadow and Interceptor's battered, but breathing bodies. As soon as she reached them she began to cast. Flames continued to roar around her, but she paid them no mind.

Magic brought the assassin into a world of pain and fire. The slight healing that came about with the Raise spell gave Shadow enough strength to sit up. For a moment, he could swear he had entered Hell. The old coot glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and just for a moment gave up his rain of _Firaga_ to bark out the words to a _Curaga_. Shadow felt the healing magic doing its work, and saw it do the same to the newly wakened Interceptor and battered Relm. And he heard the monster scream. Just as the healing silver light worked to bring their bodies together, so it did to tear Hidon's body apart.

But still the monster came on. Screaming, shuddering, practically falling apart at the seams it came. And the only thing that stood between them was the old man.

Strago stood unmoving in the face of the dying beast's final charge. If this was to be his final test, he could not let himself fail! Long ago it had only been his and Gungho's fate that hung in the balance. They knew the risks of their quest and welcomed the chance to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the hunt. Now it wasn't just him. It was everyone he had come to call a companion. It was the world that he had made a pledge to save. It was his granddaughter. These thoughts in his mind, Strago called up the spell patterns he saw Hidon weave. The unbreakable shell, the fierce interior. The beast was nearly upon him. Calling every last bit of his remaining power, Strago channeled it through his staff and let it loose on the creature he had chased for so long.

Hidon's already battered body was in too weak of a state to resist the tearing power. Rather than contort to the magic's unpredictable whim, the beast's body ripped apart. Charred bits of flesh and bone whirled inside of Strago's _Grand Delta_ before collapsing in a smoking pile of gore at the spells dissipation.

Strago was suddenly very tired. He leaned on his staff for support and looked at the remains of his obsession. Relm was first to his side. She stood still and quiet as a statue, in awe as to what her grandfather had just done. With some hesitation, Shadow followed. He took up post at the old man's other side, silent as a shade. He had not thought the old man capable of such power.

"I did it!" Strago whispered. This kind of thing was something that the Strago of fifty years ago might have done, but not him! But he had to. Hidon forced his hand. No. _Relm_ forced his hand. Silly stubborn Relm. If she had not been here he never would have faced down the beast unquestionably, doing exactly what had to be done because if he did not she would be killed! Terrible, clever girl! "I… I… I actually beat Hidon!"

Finally turning away from the monster that had captivated him for so long, Strago faced his companions with flashing excited eyes and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "I have to tell Gungho he is avenged!"

0 0 0

The bed was soft and the night was quiet. But Shadow could not sleep. The last time he slept in this inn he had taken sleeping pills to drop into a dreamless unconsciousness. He woke to a fire that very nearly took from him the one friend he had and the young girl that did not yet mean so much. In truth he would have preferred to spend this last night in Thamasa lurking about the Magus house as he had done before. But with the old coot yammering away to his friend late into the night, an undisturbed rest would be impossible.

Shadow reached over the side of the bed to scratch Interceptor's ears. The big dog woke with a yawn and gave Shadow a reproachful look. He stood and stretched, then padded over to the door. Again giving his boss a look, Interceptor pointedly scratched at the door.

"Lazy mutt," Shadow grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed. He knew full well that Interceptor could work these doors. But the dog seemed determined to punish his boss for waking him and when Shadow did not move as quickly as desired, Interceptor let out an impatient bark. When he finally opened the door Interceptor trotted nonchalantly out into the darkness. Shadow slipped out and shut the door behind him. The dog would be back soon, so there was no point in returning to bed.

Everything was quiet in the darkness. Curiously, the light in the Magus house still burned. The old coot must still be at it. And though it forced Shadow to spend a night in the blasted inn, for once he did not begrudge Strago. He certainly had a reason to brag, standing up to Hidon like he did. Saving them all…

Lost in his thoughts Shadow did not notice at first when the front door of the Magus house opened and a silver haired figure slunk out. Gungho crept quietly towards the ruins of the old warehouse, but was quickly intercepted by the very person he had set out to meet there.

Relm dashed over to her grandfather's oldest friend. He looked exhausted, but that was to be expected. The poor man had just spent hours listening to Grandpa's story after all!

"What happened to Grandpa?"

Gungho sleepily blinked before answering, "Huh? Finally! He nodded off. However…" A fearful thought seemed to cross his mind and he hastily added, "Let's let him be! He's nice and … quiet …"

Friends or no, Gungho was _tired_! There were only so many ways that the story of beating a single monster could be told and Strago had somehow managed to tell all of them, plus several more. Frankly, Gungho was starting to wish he had never heard of Hidon in the first place!

"Now, about my 'wounds'…"

"Wait!" Relm interjected, "First let me thank you. You gave Grandpa a reason to go and defeat something that had tormented him for decades! Even if YOU were faking, that creature meant business!" Oh man did she know that thing meant business. But seeing her grandpa happy again, free for the first time in decades of the shadow that haunted him, made everything she went through worth it. Of course, if Shadow or Interceptor had … died … Even if her grandpa had managed to defeat Hidon, that was too great a price. But they didn't! So that didn't matter anymore!

Gungho shook his head and stared in awe at the young girl standing before him. Only twelve years old and willing to risk her life for the people she loved. She grew up so fast. Damn, he could remember Relm's _mother_ when she was that age!

"What a granddaughter he's raised! Amazing!"

Relm smirked and playfully punched Gungho's arm. "And what a terrible actor you are!"

The old adventurer could only throw back his head and laugh. "Only Strago could have been taken in by that performance!"

To Relm's surprise a rasping chuckle sounded from not too far away. It was difficult to make out with Gungho's much more prominent guffaws, but she knew it was there! And if that wasn't Shadow's laugh then she was a tipsy moogle!

That girl! She risked her life, his life, his dog's life, and her only gods be damned family member left in an elaborate scheme to get the old coot to face his demons. Shadow knew he should be angry, or at least frustrated at being dragged into this, but all he could do was laugh. It was just so undeniably _Relm_! Shadow had learned that he could expect no less from the little artist who he was still not quite sure if she was a curse that angry gods had forced upon him. And even though he had no concern for Strago's peace of mind, Shadow found that he was pleased Relm's plan had worked. The old man was the only family she had left and if she lost him again it would tear her apart. Relm had gone through far too much pain in her short life, she didn't deserve any more.

He was not surprised when Relm skidded to a halt several paces away. She put her hands on her hips and stared up at him indignantly with those pretty hazel eyes. "What are you laughing at?"

Shadow replied with another quiet chuckle. He put a hand on Relm's head and, with a casual air that surprised even himself, gave her beret an affectionate twist like he had seen Sabin do so many times. She smiled at him.

"You know I would have done the same thing for you."

"I know girl. I know."

_0 0 0_

_Antismurf Lord of Darkness pointed this out to me so I thought I would mention it- if you poke around Thamasa and talk to someone they will say that Strago is not Relm's real grandfather. Theories I have read say that he was a family friend who adopted her when her father left. I thought that giving them a closer personal connection would make the relationship a bit more powerful- to recap, in this story Strago had a sister who died and left him custody of Relm's mother. He became her adoptive father and, by extension, Relm's grandfather. _

_Yes, I developed my own interpretation of Grand Delta. I wrote the scene where Hidon uses it after seeing it used in battle and it was only afterwards that I read the description of the spell itself (a triangular beam of energy). The spell reminded me of Banish or Meteor so I gave it that sort of twist. Hope you all don't mind! _

_I do hope that I am still writing up to people's expectations. Next will be the battle with Deathgaze. For a while I thought of cutting this because I couldn't figure out how to relate it to the overall story. But I think I've figured it out. Poor neglected Setzer is going to get some time to shine! _

_Thank you everyone, for putting up with my slow writing. You guys are the best! _


	18. King of the Sky

_Late, as per usual. Hope you all enjoy the latest installment (maybe it makes up for the wait?). Figuring out how to work in Deathgaze was difficult, but I like how it turned out. Please excuse any errors I may have made concerning aviation. I am a person who likes to keep their feet firmly on the ground and thus have little to no knowledge of flight. _

_As always a great big thank you to those who reviewed, Kein Sylvan, MiguelCC51, katycha01, Anatherin, Shadowdrake Magi, random-k, The Full Moon, missiongirl87, and The 666__th__ necrophiliac. Also a thank you to Anti-Smurf Lord of Darkness for being an awesome beta reader!_

_I do not own Final Fantasy VI or its characters, though I sincerely wish I did. It would make paying for student loans so much easier._

0 0 0

He rolled the small gold band back and forth over the palm of his gloved hand. The twinkling of light bouncing off the metal filled his vision. It left no room for the blurred landscape of the blighted land that abruptly changed to shifting darkness as the _Falcon_ flew over the sea. The salt tinged wind, the roar of the engines, even the misty spray that coated his body in a chill dampness was ignored. Shadow's world had narrowed to the ring rolling back and forth, back and forth.

"Hey!" Shadow turned and locked eyes with the silver haired gambler. Setzer didn't flinch. His upper body rested on the _Falcon_'s helm in a relaxed fashion, both elbows hooked around spokes and his hands clasped together under his chin. The pilot was in his element. This was his place, at the helm of his ship soaring above the earth. This was the one place in the world where he was untouchable and totally in control.

"What've you got there?"

Shadow clenched his hand into a fist around the ring. "Nothing."

The gambler flashed him a cocky smile. "That's a pretty bit of nothing." Reaching into one of the many pockets of his coat Setzer pulled out a pair of dice. "Want to play me for it?"

Shadow's eyes narrowed and when he gave an answer it was dangerously cold. "No."

Setzer shrugged and pocketed the dice. These ones weren't even loaded. "Where did you get it, anyway?" The question Setzer wanted to ask was why the plain looking ring was so special. But he was certain that such a direct line of attack would only gain him a cold shoulder or, at most, a bald faced lie.

"A gift," Shadow growled. Why wouldn't the gambler just let him be?

Setzer was quick to read between the lines. "So Relm gave it to you." Though he said it in a languid drawl that fit perfectly with his aloof demeanor, the statement was enough to send a quiver of rage down Shadow's spine. The Setzer was reading him, reading him like he read anyone foolish enough to play games of chance in the gambler's presence. Once Shadow would have considered himself unreadable, even to one as skilled as the gambler. It seemed he was mistaken.

He didn't like it.

Setzer forced away a grin as he stared at the uncomfortable assassin. Someone who made his living out of reading people's must subtle body movements, such as the gambler himself, could tell a lot about a person from what others considered nothing at all. The silence was obvious; a reluctance to speak on the subject that could mean anything from shame to simple indifference. Turning his back was a clear method of ending the conversation. Not surprising considering Shadow's historic reluctance to open up to the group. But the way he was fixated on that little ring … Setzer found it utterly fascinating. For the first time since he had met the assassin Setzer found himself trying to do a dedicated analysis of the man.

The first thing to consider was his location. Away from his companions, even his dog, but by necessity not totally alone. There were plenty of hiding places on the _Falcon _that Shadow could have retreated to if he wished complete solitude, the choice of the ships upper deck led Setzer to believe that not only had he wanted to be alone, but also to be somewhere conducive to freedom of thought. In the open air the mind could wander far better than locked in some dark cubbyhole. Particularly if that open air were close to the sky. Maybe that was the pilot in him speaking, but Setzer thought the reasoning was sound anyway.

Shadow's body language betrayed his mind better than any words could. The assassin had once stood straight and tall, stiff as a steel blade in any situation, body, eyes, voice, betraying nothing but the void of emotionless emptiness and complete lack of care for anything. Now his shoulders drooped and his back bowed in confusion and, more likely than not, shame or regret. The man claimed to have no emotions, a claim of strength and invulnerability. Setzer would bet his dearly beloved _Falcon_ that this had been proven false. Someone, Relm he was certain, had found a chink in the assassin' armor and exploited it, perhaps unknowingly, but nonetheless enough to break through.

The shreds of realization tugged at the edge of his mind as he watched Shadow stare at the ring. Regret, pain, remembrance, loss. It was all too familiar.

Setzer let out a wistful sigh and took a tighter grip on the helm. "The _Falcon _wasn't my ship to start with."

Shadow did not turn. Maybe if the gambler caught on to how utterly disinterested he was he would be quiet.

"Darill built her. She was always a better engineer than I was." Still Shadow did not acknowledge the gambler, though he his curiosity was piqued. He had never heard of a Darill and the tone of Setzer's voice made it clear that she was someone of importance.

"She built them right the first time, I learned to fix them when they went wrong. We used to fly together, you know. Her on the _Falcon_, me with the _Blackjack_. It was her idea to build the airships. Came across the blueprints in some old tome or something like that." Setzer no longer cared if Shadow was listening or not. He stared into the clouds, lost in memory, and could almost imagine that a second airship waited behind each one.

"We ruled the skies," Setzer said with a fond smile, "On the ground she was just a lady engineer and I was just a sleazy gambler. But up here … up here we were kings."

"What happened?" Setzer swung his head towards the gruff question, his eyes widening with surprise. Shadow had hidden the ring, either in one of his many pockets or in his tight clenched fist, and was looking at him. So he had been listening after all.

"She flew off alone, wanted to fly above the clouds, as close to the sun as she could. Darill always pushed the _Falcon_ to her limits," Setzer took a moment to swallow his tears. It never ceased to amaze him how just telling the story would bring back the pain of finding the _Falcon_'s wreckage a year after Darill had failed to return to him. Every damn time. "Her luck ran out and she pushed the _Falcon _too far."

A blast of wind buffeted the _Falcon_, rocking her off kilter, but Setzer straightened her with a deft twist of the helm. The _Blackjack _would have barely moved at such a gust, but the _Falcon_ was different. Where the _Blackjack_ had been built like an aerial tank, the _Falcon _was designed specifically to ride the wind in such a way that she could use it to reach speeds and pull off maneuvers that seemed impossible for something of her size.

"Took me five years to rebuild her!" Setzer said with a forced laugh. "I couldn't leave Darill's pride a twisted wreck."

Setzer thought he heard Shadow growl something in reply, but before he could ask for clarification Interceptor burst up from below decks and trotted proudly over to Shadow's side. Tail held high and eyes sparking bright, he placed his "prize" in the assassin's outstretched hand. A strip of braided cord. He held it up and examined it curiously. Interceptor barked and wagged his tail.

"What do you want, boy?" Shadow muttered. Interceptor just barked again.

"I'd say he wants you to use it!" Setzer commented, "Why don't you tie up that pretty ring? Then you won't risk it going over the side every time you want to look at it."

The advice was sound, though Shadow doubted that it was the dog's intention. More likely than not he had swiped the makeshift toy from Gau in one of their games of keep away and, like any good dog, was bringing it to his boss. He gave Interceptor a scratch behind the ears as praise, and then did as the gambler suggested, running the cord through the ring and tying the two ends together. This left a loop large enough to slip over his head and under his armor so that the enchanted metal rested against his skin.

He finished tucking the ring away just as muffled voices started to rise from the open hatch, signaling the approach of several of their companions. Sabin and Edgar bounded out first, the twins jostling and shoving to get through the door like boisterous children. Terra and Celes followed much more calmly, and were almost bowled over when Gau leaped past and landed on the deck with a fierce growl. Interceptor answered the challenge and lunged at the boy, the two of them falling back in a tangle of fur and limbs. The tumbling ball of wild boy and dog nearly took out Strago as he emerged from below decks; had Relm not grabbed the back of his cloak and jerked him back a step they almost certainly would have! Predictably no one else followed. Despite the extensive time spent flying, Cyan was still incredibly uncomfortable whenever he looked out and saw the ground hundreds of feet away, and Umaro was still doing his best to overcome airsickness, more likely than not with the help of Mog and some frequently cast _Sleep_ spells.

The young artist happily made her way over to Shadow's side, and, curiously, Strago followed. Ever since the incident in Hidon's cave the old man had been … civil. There even seemed to be some grudging attempts to be friendly in the coot's actions. It confused Shadow more than he cared to admit.

"So this is where you've been hiding!" Relm remarked.

Shadow nodded. "I needed to think."

Even though she knew no answer would be forthcoming Relm had to ask. It was practically a sin if she didn't! "About what?"

Shadow had no intention of answering such a question. To tell the truth, he was not even sure he knew how. He _had _come up here to think, but what had ended up happening was less of thinking and more letting himself wander. Out in the open air with the sun driving away all vestiges of darkness he skirted the foggy edges of his psyche. Memories, emotions, everything he had kept locked away in that secluded corner of his unconscious for so many years were leaking out. Slowly, but surely, they were escaping. When he once could have looked and seen nothing but fog, now there were shades, flashes of feeling, even words. Never before had he voluntarily gone so close in his waking hours. What happened while he was asleep was not under his control. But now … now he was dancing with the pain of his own accord.

Was he becoming accustomed to it? He did not think so. Shadow was certain that if, for any reason, what was still locked behind his barriers were ever allowed to roam truly free it would threaten to destroy him just as it had done so many years ago. Just as it had done in Doma Castle. It was the coward's way out. But Shadow had come to a realization. He spent so long living like this, living with everything that could ever cause the devastating pain that had torn him, did tear him, apart heart and soul, that there was simply no other way _could_ live. This was the price he paid.

This was why he was alive and they were dead.

When no answer was forthcoming, Relm simply changed the subject. She trusted that Shadow had a reason for not talking to her and that it was a good one. Trust; it was part of friendship. She trusted Shadow and, she hoped, he trusted her.

"How high up do you think we are?" she wondered aloud. Shadow shrugged.

Having heard the question over the rumbling of the engine and wind whistling past, Setzer answered with a smug smile. "About three or four hundred feet. Not too high."

"Higher than the birds fly!" Strago shot back. The gambler shrugged and laughed. It was the work of an instant to angle the nose of the _Falcon _up so that she climbed even higher into the sky. They were brushing the underside of low hanging clouds and the moisture in the air quickly dampened their cloths and gave solid surfaces a sheen of wet.

Rising a little more, Setzer brought the ship completely within a low floating bank of thick, fluffy clouds. He smiled to himself at the sudden uproar this caused among his companions, with mentions of blindness, crashing, and stupid pilots being thrown about quite liberally. There was nothing for them to be afraid of. This wasn't a storm cloud so there was no need to worry about lightning. And as far as crashing, what did they think he would crash into? There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that flew this high!

Relm saw it first. Her sharp young eyes were accustomed to discerning the delicate shadows and differences in color when painting and picked up the strange shape in the clouds almost as soon as it appeared. It was smaller than the _Falcon_, but larger than any bird she had ever seen! Some flying monsters they had seen approached that size, with dragons tending to be even larger, but something about the shape just didn't seem right to her.

"Grandpa?" she tugged on Strago's sleeve and pointed. If anyone could identify a monster from just a fuzzy silhouette, her Grandpa could! Strago followed his granddaughter's pointing finger, but could not distinguish anything through the clouds. Out of the corner of her eye Relm caught Shadow peering into the obscuring vapor as well. His eyes saw what the older man did not, a menacing shade coasting alongside the much larger airship. Shadow's body tensed.

The shadow swerved suddenly, sinking low and disappearing from sight. But before the assassin or artist could comment the _Falcon_ gave a great lurch as something slamming into the airship's underside. The impact drove Shadow to his knees and Relm straight to the deck. The remainder of their companions had not faired any better, with only Setzer managing to keep his feet by supporting himself on the ship's helm.

"The hell was that?" Sabin shouted. The ship shook again as whatever it was drove into the port side.

Clutching the railing tightly to keep from going over, Celes took command. "Setzer, get out of the clouds! Everyone, center of the deck! Ready your spells!" The scramble to follow orders was interrupted by another jolt as the ship was rammed once more, this time punctuated by the screech of claws on metal.

Setzer let out a howl of curses and swung the ship sharply down and towards the source of the noise. The _Falcon_ dropped and swerved, sending anyone not holding onto something solid tumbling across the deck. Shadow turned his fall into a controlled roll, leaping to his feet just before hitting the opposite railing. Others were not so lucky, Shadow had to reach out and snag a handful of black furred scruff in one hand and ragged shirt in the other to keep Interceptor and Gau from going over the side. Across the ship Relm was hard pressed to keep his hold on the railing and her grandfather, who had been caught off guard by the _Falcon's_ erratic movement.

"Stop that!" Shadow snarled in Setzer's direction as the pilot forced the ship into another sharp turn.

"Don't tell me how to fly!" Setzer shouted back. What the hell was attacking his ship?! He couldn't see it but he _knew _it was out there! And he would not let anything challenge his rule of the skies without a fight!

But Shadow was not the only one who had an issue with Setzer's actions.

"That's enough, Setzer!" Celes barked, keeping a tight hold on the hilt of the sword she had driven into the deck.

"We're all going over the side if you keep this up," Edgar added with more than a hint of concern.

Setzer glanced at his companions strewn in various states of disarray about the _Falcon's_ deck. Celes was glaring daggers at him, still clutching the hilt of her sword. The blade was driven deep into the planks, a desperate attempt at a temporary handhold. That was going to leave a mark … Sabin seemed to have a similar idea and had used his claws to further strengthen his grip on the ship's bow rail. The weapon had dug in deep from the strain of supporting the massive martial artist and his slighter twin, whose cloak was firmly clenched in Sabin's other fist. Relm and Strago were supporting each other as best as they could manage, the former having one arm wrapped tightly around the ship's railing and the other linked with her unsteady grandfather. Terra had not reacted quickly enough and was one of the people sent flying, luckily colliding with Sabin and Edgar before going over the side. By far the most amusing was Shadow, who had come off better than anyone else, and was poised in such a ways to be both menacing and hilarious at once: the livid expression in his eyes and threatening stance was negated by his continued grip on his dog's scruff and the back of the wild boy's shirt, holding them like a mother dog holds a disobedient puppy, though the two had regained their feet and had no need of his support.

Reluctantly Setzer dipped the _Falcon's_ nose lower, bringing her further away from the clouds and their unseen attacker. There was more at stake here than his pride as a pilot.

Suddenly a dark shape erupted from the cloud bank. It circled the _Falcon_ twice with quick flaps of its leathery wings, moving so fast that its features could not be seen. True to his decision to keep his companions safe, Setzer sent the _Falcon_ into an accelerated dive to evade the monster. But the creature paced the big ship easily. It ducked under the airship's bow and smashed into it, forcing the ship out of the dive. As Setzer fought with the helm to steady the ship, the creature slowed and began to circle again. It was the size of a small dragon, with a wingspan nearly twice the length of its body. The monster's purple fur hung in greasy hanks over all save for the great wings and grotesque bat like face.

Its red eyes narrowed. Shadow wanted to drop everything and put a shruiken through them. But the eyes held him fast. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. His whole world had narrowed to those malevolent red eyes.

The beast blinked. It surveyed the ship with what could almost be called a satisfied expression and with a flap of its wings disappeared again into the clouds. Free of the spell, Shadow shook his head and looked around. His eyes first went to the young artist and her grandfather. Relm looked fine, she was shaking off the creature's gaze as well and starting to come to her senses. But just as she was about to ask her grandpa _what was that thing_, the old man's knees buckled. Just barely missing his granddaughter, he pitched face first onto the deck. Across the ship, each and every one of Shadow and Relm's companions fell. Setzer was the last, keeping an expression of defiant rage on his face when he finally slumped down onto the helm, sending the _Falcon _into an uncontrolled downward spiral as he did.

Bounding across the wildly pitching deck Shadow grabbed the pilot's body and heaved it away from the helm. He may not have known anything about airships or flight, but he did know that if the _Falcon_'s flight could not be straightened out they would all die!

"No!" Relm cried, "No, no, no, NO! _RAISE!_" Grandpa was NOT going to die here! NOT now, NOT EVER! A voice in the back of her head was telling her how stupid she was to cast _Raise_ when she didn't even know if her grandpa was alive. But there wasn't time to do that! In the few seconds it would take to check his pulse it could be too late! And she WOULD NOT let her grandpa die! So what if that was the thinking of a stupid little girl. SHE DID NOT CARE!

The door to the _Falcon_'s stairway crashed open and Cyan staggered out. The terrified knight barely had time to register that the majority of his companions lay sprawled lifeless around the deck before Shadow called his attention with a scream.

"TAKE THE HELM!"

Leaping away from his post and giving the surprised warrior a hard shove in the proper direction, Shadow didn't give him any choice in the matter. The Doman may have been the absolute worst person in the entire world to entrust with such a task, but there was little else Shadow could do. They needed a healer and Cyan's limited selection of weak spells could do little in such a situation. Hell, he wasn't even sure the man knew _Raise_, never mind could cast it successfully!

The _Falcon _lurched again, the movement throwing Relm violently away from Strago's dangerously still form. Only by crashing into the disorganized tangle that was the Figaro brothers and Terra, anchored down by nothing more than the dig of Sabin's claws into the wooden railing, did the little artist keep from tumbling into space. Before she could squeeze out from under someone's, probably Edgar or Terra's, limp legs that had tangled with the blue cloak, a hand gripped her arm tightly and pulled her out of the tangle and onto her feet with a sharp jerk.

Shadow swallowed the tight knot of fear that had formed in his throat when he believed Relm about to go over the side. _She is safe. She is safe. Stop shaking, fool, she is safe!_ Had they been on solid ground with all their friends safe around them, Relm would have questioned the foreign expression she saw in the assassin's eyes. But there was not time for that now. The _Falcon_ tilted dangerously to the side, despite Cyan's frantic attempts to right her, sending the still unconscious bodies of their companions sliding around like lifeless dolls.

"Don't let go," Shadow growled as he took hold of Relm's hand.

"I wouldn't dare!" Relm shot back, flashing him a cocky smile that did well to mask her fear. Though she did not see it, Shadow returned the grin. Together they scrambled across the pitching deck, pausing briefly to check the pulse and cast _Raise_ on each of their companions. By the time they reached Gau and Interceptor, who had rolled into the _Falcon_'s open hatch during the ship's more violent lurches, Strago had regained his feet and was carefully helping others do the same. They may have been disoriented, knock kneed, and unable to walk in a straight line if you paid them, but they were _alive_.

Having wrest the helm away from Cyan the moment he was able to do so, Setzer was able to pull the _Falcon_ out of her dizzying dive. He gripped the helm with white knuckled hands; if he did anything less he was not sure he could stay upright. As it was most of his weight was leaning against the wheel, trying to take the strain off his shuddering legs. That thing had nearly killed them. Had it not been for the assassin and the artist it _would_ have killed them! What was that thing?! Hunting in _his _sky, hiding in _his _clouds, flying circles around _her_ airship! Setzer's teeth ground together. It was not acceptable, simply not acceptable.

"Hey," Relm put a hand on the gambler's shoulder, "You should get below." He didn't look good at all. It made sense, when Shadow checked for a pulse it was several terrifying moments longer than for any of their other companions before he gave the go ahead to cast the spell. But beyond looking inches away from death, Setzer practically trembled with hatred. He stared into the distance with narrow eyes and a grim set expression, glaring at something that she was sure he could not see. That creature was still out there and he hated it. He hated it with every fiber of his being. Hated it like she hated the disease that took her mother. Like she hated her father for leaving her.

"No."

She may have understood what his hatred felt like, but that didn't mean he had to be stupid about it!

"If you don't go lie down now you're going to pass out on the wheel and get us into the same situation we were in before, which, if I recall, included us hurtling to our deaths!"

"No," Setzer hissed, "Which way did it go?"

Relm blinked, for a moment too astonished to say a word. That moment ended quickly. "Are you stupid? You can't expect to fight that thing in your condition! Besides, if you haven't noticed, it could be ANYWHERE! You'd never find it."

The gambler let out an audible growl and gripped the helm even tighter. "I don't care."

"Listen to the girl." Shadow's rasping voice came from behind, near the still open hatch. Setzer's pride may have been damaged, but that was no reason to risk _their_ lives!

"No." The word was laced with something more than anger. Shadow, a master at putting as much meaning as possible in single words and short phrases caught this immediately. What Setzer was feeling went deeper than anger, deeper than sorrow, deeper than regret, though those were the words that could be used to best describe it in simple terms. Hatred was close, vengeful perhaps closer. It was an icy fire deep within one's soul that consumed all thought and feeling, leaving one with only the desire to overthrow, to _destroy_, whatever it was that had violated the core of one's being.

This went beyond damaged pride. Far beyond.

"I'm hunting that thing down," Setzer said, his voice hard and sharp as flint, "And I'm killing it."

Ignoring Relm's indignant protests, Shadow strode to the gambler's side and whispered in a tone that allowed no argument, "If you put them in danger, I will kill you." Setzer nodded his agreement. The deal was struck.

Setzer allowed himself to give Shadow a grateful smile. Then he set his lips in a thin line, forced himself to stand as straight as his protesting body would allow, and took control.

"Relm, Shadow, you two stay above deck with me. Lock the door from the outside, the others will just get in the way. That counts for your damn dog too." Relm started to protest, but the dark clothed assassin put a restraining hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, his expression told her everything. _Don't interfere. There is nothing we can do_.

"Now one of you is going to tell me which way that damnable monster flew. I see that look, Relm, and don't even think about incapacitating me. If you do, I'll thrash you within an inch of your life and no one, not your grandpa, not that dog, not even Shadow will stop me!" Relm glared at the pilot, but wisely did not speak.

"That beast attacked me in my sky," _her sky_, "tried to destroy my airship," _her airship_, "and I will not stand for it!" As Setzer spoke his voice gradualy rose from a fierce snarl to a challenge screamed into the wind. One hand stayed steady on the helm while the other made adjustments to the dials and levers on the nearby control consol that sent the engine into a whirring frenzy. "Now," he howled, fixing the two of them with a frenzied stare, "_Which way did it go_!"

They pointed, mercifully, in the same direction. North, towards the mountain range surrounding Narshe that could just be seen peaking through the clouds. Setzer smiled, a terrifying teeth baring grin that had nothing of Gau's innocent attempts at expressing happiness. Letting out a feral bay like a hunting dog, Setzer savagely pulled the one lever he had yet to touch. The great ship's engine screamed, as if in response to her pilot's cry, and she surged into the wind.

The force of the unexpectedly powerful movement knocked Relm and Shadow back against the door to the ship's interior. Behind the wooden barricade they could hear Interceptor's insistent whines, which very quickly turned to frantic barking.

"Quiet, boy," Shadow snarled. But the dog could not hear him or did not care.

"He knows we're locked out here with a madman," Relm muttered.

Shadow looked at Setzer. The pilot was leaning into the rushing wind and obviously funneling the majority of his strength into keeping himself upright.

"Not mad," he growled, "Grief-stricken. Vengeful."

The _Falcon_ twisted sharply, gaining altitude as Setzer searched for the perfect gust to ride. Shadow grabbed Relm's arm to steady her. She looked at him curiously, even as she moved to stand so that his body could act as a support.

"The sky, this airship, these were sacred to him," Shadow explained, "Like Cyan's memory of Doma as it was. Setzer is reacting to the destruction of his sacred place-"

A sudden realization dawned on Relm. "He's not breaking down," she whispered, the image of Cyan's broken body on the forefront of her mind, "He's fighting. He's fighting his pain!"

"He's a strong man," Shadow growled. Relm caught the grudging respect, as well as what she thought was … envy.

"You're strong too."

Shadow tried. He really did. But the sharp flinch her words brought on came so fast that by the time he thought to control it, the action was done. He was not strong, not like this. When the pain came for him he didn't even try to fight. He locked it away, ignored it, learned to keep it under control. But then _she_ came and tore through all his careful walls with unconcerned ease. _Damn you Cyan. Damn you and your dreams_. Things had been bad before Doma, but after those dreams had _forced_ his walls down and allowed her in to see the shattered, deplorable, soul-less wretch he really was, everything had become exponentially worse. The dreams were coming with more frequency, even outside of Thamasa's detrimental influence. The even came while he was awake …

No. He was not strong. He would sooner die than fight his pain. And he was afraid to die.

But with Relm bracing herself against his side and looking at him like he was a pillar of her world, he could not afford to be weak. He may not _be_ strong, but he could act it. He could pretend to be strong for her.

The rather uncharacteristic flinch caused Relm some measure of concern, but the assassin's momentary lapse was quickly covered up by a dismissive snort and shaking of his hooded head. _Idiot_. She may have been young, but she wasn't _stupid!_ Alright, maybe he did think himself weak. And, after the incident in Doma, Relm could see why. But that didn't mean it was the truth!

"No one can be strong all the time," Relm said brightly, "That's why you have friends. To hold you up when you can't bear it anymore."

"I don't-," _have any friends,_ Shadow started to reply out of habit. But he could not finish the statement. Somewhere along this journey his companions had become something he had sworn to avoid for the rest of his life. They were his friends.

Relm must have guessed the path his thoughts had traveled, because she looked up at him with a smug, knowing smile. Shadow sighed and gave her shoulder a squeeze. He was having enough trouble concentrating on keeping his balance on the pitching deck to even think about devoting focus to fighting a fight he was sure to lose.

Behind them the door handle shuddered as someone tried to open it from the inside. When the mechanism failed to work, an insistent pounding joined Interceptor's frantic barks.

"Setzer! Relm! Shadow!" though the door could muffle the sound of Cyan's shouts, it couldn't mask the fearful tone, "What dost thou mean by this?"

"What's wrong?" came Terra's considerably weaker voice.

"The door, tis locked!"

"LOCKED!?" That indignant squall was unmistakably Strago.

Relm glanced at the door bolt, then up at Shadow. The assassin considered the unasked question for a moment and shook his head. "They're too weak from the monster's attack. And Cyan gets sick at the thought of flying." For once Setzer was right, the rest of their companions would just get in the way.

Below them the clouds had covered any landmarks they may have used to mark their position. But that didn't bother Setzer. They would have just been a distraction. Spotting the dark colored beast flying over land or water would have been difficult, but over a bank of white clouds it would stick out like a sore thumb. Not that he was imagining it would fly above the clouds. No, if it was smart it would say _in_ the clouds, cloaked from curious eyes above and below. _But not my eyes_. Setzer scanned the clouds with a feverish intensity, searching for any abnormalities in the shifting vapor. He knew these skies, knew them better than he knew his ship's engine, better than he knew the exact mechanics of shuffling cards so that just the right one ended up on top. Better than he could remember Darill's face.

_There!_

A ripple in the cloud bank. A ripple going against the wind! With a howl of triumph Setzer jerked the _Falcon _out of the wind stream she had been riding and dropped her straight down on the movement. She hit something large and solid but not so strong as to stop the ship's downward momentum that carried her out of the clouds. Narshe's jagged mountain peaks rose to greet them and it was all Setzer could do to haul the _Falcon _about so her hull was only struck a glancing blow, rather than a shattering one.

_Where was it?_ He knew he had hit it! He had to have hit it! There was nothing else he could have run into so high in his sky!

Relm's shrill yell and a blast of lightning directed the pilot's attention to the starboard side. The spell had missed its target, but Setzer did not. He saw the dark shape take off from the mountain side, unsteady for those first initial wing beats, then speed off. It took him the span of a moment to steady the airship in a suitable wind and begin the chase.

He had found it. Shadow had not believed it possible, but the pilot had found the creature. From Relm's shocked yell and impulsive _Thudara_ that hit the side of the mountain embarrassingly far from its intended target, she had not believed it either.

"Come on," he growled, keeping an arm around Relm for support as he moved them towards the bow. For several reasons they had to move, the most obvious being that they could not hope to fight the beast while pressed against a wall. The second was the pounding of fists on the door had long since been replaced with spaced out, steady bangs that caused the entire doorframe to shake. Someone, most likely Cyan, was trying to force the door open. But after that gut wrenching plunge through the clouds it had been replaced by something even more concerning: heat. Slowly, but surely, the metal door was heating up from the inside. Shadow did not want to be in the way when whatever was causing that heat burst through.

Setzer flung the _Falcon_ recklessly across the sky after the fleeing monster. The roaring of the engines rose to a screaming howl as the pilot pushed the great machine harder and harder, ever vigilant for a wind current that he could ride that would add even the tiniest bit of speed to her flight. By chance he found a current powerful enough to jolt the _Falcon_ forward even at her already incredible pace. It had to be the leading edge of a storm, a big one, for the wind to have this kind of strength. Something like this would have normally made Setzer curse, a storm of this power would almost certainly force him to ground the _Falcon_ till it blew over. But now it was a blessing. It lent just enough speed to the airship's flight so that finally, _finally_ they began to gain on the monster.

"Setzer!" Shadow yelled. The _Falcon_ was trailing smoke. But if he heard, the pilot chose to ignore him. Shadow grit his teeth and dragged Relm to the very prow of the ship. The closer they could be to the monster the sooner they could start throwing spells its way. The creature was flapping its wings faster and faster, but still the _Falcon_ gained. If the smoking engine was anything to go by the airship was being pushed dangerously far past its limits. Shadow had half a mind to turn about and drop Setzer where he stood with a sleeping poison covered dart. The creature was right in front of them, but that would mean nothing if the _Falcon_'s engines failed and they all fell to their deaths!

Suddenly the monster banked hard and started to fly towards the airship. Relm loosed a _Thundara_ as it raced past, searing one wing and causing it to flounder slightly. That delay gave Setzer the chance to turn the _Falcon _hard, so that her hull crashed into the creature yet again. It let out a shriek of pain, but rather than let itself fall it twisted and dug claws deep into the airship's hull. The squealing of claws on the metal hull preceded the monster's head cresting the bow railing, giving Shadow and Relm ample time to scramble away.

Setzer almost laughed when the creature once again looked him in the eye. Had he not been fighting to keep the _Falcon_ steady as her altitude rapidly decreased, he most certainly would have. Now they would see who was the real king of the sky! Just as the creature heightened the intensity of its stare, Setzer closed his eyes.

"Hold it there!" he screamed. Shadow rushed forward, pulling two long knives from their sheaths as they went. The monster seemed confused as to why none of the human creatures were succumbing to its deadly gaze. That confusion turned to rage when one of them drove two blades through the membrane of its wings and into the ship's wooden railing. Shadow rolled to the side to dodge the monster's snapping jaws and only just avoided being clipped by Relm's _Blizzara_, which served to further anchor the beast to the _Falcon_'s hull.

_Good, good_, Setzer thought. He kept his eyes closed. Judging by the speed they were flying and the time they had been in the air the _Falcon_ should still be over land. Behind him and below him the pilot could hear and feel the inner workings of the great ship groaning, shuddering, and failing. They were losing altitude and fast, he could tell that from the angle of the deck and the speed at which the air whipped past. Shadow was screaming at him, as was Relm, but both were too busy keeping the monster at bay to make good on the assassin's threat. Something in the engine burst and the once proud roar changed to a strangled screech of metal on metal. Setzer didn't need his eyes to make the few adjustments that would ease the pressure on his, _her_, ship's engine and hopefully prevent further damage.

"Not this time, Daryill," he whispered. Then he softly began to chant. At the last moment, he snapped open his eyes and made sure to stare straight into the deep soulless eyes of the beat.

"_Gravity!_"

The spell tore the monster right through the ice and steel holding it down, wrenching the _Falcon_ into a vicious nosedive after it. With next to no power left in the engines and the distance between the ship and the ground too short for any maneuvering to matter, Setzer could do nothing. The beast hit the ground in a crumpled heap. Then the _Falcon_'s bow came down directly on top of it, crushing what little life remained in the broken body in an instant. The ship slid along the ground for several hundred feet, finally coming to a shuddering stop and keeling over to her port side with a groan of a thousand metal pieces straining at once.

The impact was the last straw for the warped door. The entire frame tore loose and it fell to the ground, narrowly missing Setzer, whose death grip on the helm had finally been shaken loose. The tremendous assault from the inside had bowed it outward, and portions of it were still red hot from a continuous barrage of flame.

Celes was the first person to emerge from below deck. "Setzer, Relm, Shadow! Where are you?"

"Here!" Relm yelled back from a short distance away. When the ship started to tilt Shadow had grabbed her and jumped, rolling into a ball with her tucked inside once he hit the ground. It saved her from injury, though she was almost certain that Shadow had done something to his back, if the noise he made when they hit and his reluctance to rise was any indication.

Setzer weakly raised an arm. "And here!" Predictably, Strago was the next to push past Celes and poke his head into the open. What little hair he had left was sticking out in all directions and he sported a rather impressive black eye, but other than that he appeared much better than he had when they'd last seen him. He quickly barked out the words to a spell then hopped into the open air. The _Float_ spell he cast on himself slowed his fall, allowing him to land from the twenty foot leap with little more than a stumble when he hit the ground. From the inside of the ship Shadow heard frantic barking, but someone was holding Interceptor back. It was just as well, the dog could have not made that jump safely.

"Relm!" Strago practically sprinted over using the strange gait one was forced into when _floating_. "Are you alright?"

Relm let her grandfather envelop her in a hug. To be truthful, she was ecstatic to see _him_ alive and well! He had really, really scared her when he collapsed like that! But he was okay and she was okay and the monster was dead and everyone was okay. It was alright, everything was alright.

"I'm fine, but Shadow's hurt."

The old man took a step back and looked down at the assassin, who was still making no attempt to stand. The added weight of Relm threw off his landing when he jumped from the tilting airship and Shadow definitely felt something wrench when his lower back, rather than his shoulders, hit the ground. Getting up would not be pleasant.

To Shadow's surprise, Strago crouched down, creaking knees and all, and put a hand on his shoulder. His brown eyes took in everything about the downed assassin, from the reluctance to move to the wince reflected in the cloudy blue eyes when movement was necessitated. When the old man started the motions of spellcasting, Shadow's curt growl stopped him.

"Don't. You too Relm," He shot the artist a piercing glare. They were both too exhausted to be casting healing spells on something that a few days rest and some easy stretching could take care of. "Just help me up."

Strago nodded, seeing the wisdom in the assassin's decision. Then he offered Shadow his hand. Gnarled, callused, ink stained, and bruised. It was a gesture of kindness. Of companionship. It was something Shadow had never thought to see from the old coot for as long as he lived. Beside her grandfather, Relm offered assistance as well. But for once Shadow did not have eyes for the little artist. He was focused, foggy blue eyes locked with the crisp brown ones of the old man. In them he saw neither hatred nor jealousy, but instead respect and acceptance. Something had changed.

Shadow took the outstretched hands and allowed himself to be pulled into a sitting position. Before he even had a chance to curse the pain, he was surrounded. Interceptor nearly knocked him back down with his exuberant greeting; the strong grips of Cyan and Gau, one on either side, as they lifted his arms over their shoulders and hoisted him to his feet was all that saved Shadow from that particular fate. Nearby Setzer was receiving similar treatment, with Edgar and Sabin helping him to his feet while Terra darted about checking his wounds and Celes shouted harsh reprimands for endangering their lives. But the pilot didn't care. From the smug look on his face and the pride filled way he glanced at the smear of bone, blood, and flesh that had once been his rival, Shadow could tell that he was utterly content. The _Falcon_ might be damaged beyond repair and they might be stuck here for gods know how long, but he had proven his place as king of the sky. All was well in Setzer's world.

"What, pray tell, sir Strago, was that creature?"

"I don't have a clue! I've never seen anything like it!"

"Uwaoo! Gau no see on Veldt. It come when world break?"

"Hmm, that's a possibility."

"You should name it, Grandpa! I think its eyes had some special power, you should call it Deathgaze!"

"Indeed. A paralyzing look that goes so far as to shut down the mental and physical faculties of one who meets its gaze for too long. Curious, very curious, quite similar to…"

Strago rambled on about the creature's probably abilities and possible relations to other monster species, with Gau interjecting every now and then with both questions and corrections, Cyan gently clarifying words and sentence structure for the wild boy, and Relm doing her darndest to keep Interceptor from tripping anyone with his joyful bounding about. Shadow sighed. And smiled. His troubles may not be crushed to pulp beneath a battered airship, but for right now, they seemed blessedly far away. The pain may have been so great, much greater than he realized, that going by himself was an impossibility, but that didn't matter. Not with friends to hold him up.

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_I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I can't promise a quick update speed, but I can promise that I will not let this story die. We're starting to enter the home stretch... Triangle Island, Phoenix Cave, the on to Kefka's Tower. Unless any of you can think of a dungeon/event/non-canon addition that would benefit the story._

_Thanks for putting up with me guys. If you feel so inclined, I'd love to hear what you think of the story, so please review! _


	19. Powerful Magic

_ Well, it's a little faster than my normal update speed. Hope you all don't mind a slightly rambling piece with drama intermixed with straight up strangeness. It is the Zone Eater's stomach after all! I appologize for several things: first off, the length- I really, really didn't want to make this into a two parter- and second for the utter destruction of canon that ended up happening. Let's just say there were some parts where I took some major artistic license. _

_ Thank you to my wonderful reviewers, __**The Full Moon, ninjanyan, CTSael, Anatherin, Shadowdrake Magi, missiongirl87, **__and my awesome beta __**Antismurf Lord of Darkness**__. _

_ I don't own Final Fantasy VI. Otherwise we'd have a remake by now._

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There were no loose stones, shrubs, sticks, dogs, children, or dozing monks within the circle of sandy earth Shadow had marked off as his practice arena. For some reason the little area seemed to attract the latter three, the first two for its fine digging potential and the final because it was apparently reminiscent of the Figaro desert. Shadow settled into a fighting stance and drew in several deep breaths. A week of rest had done wonders for his back, but he feared that any more down time would lead to dulled reflexes and weakened muscles. And gods only knew when they would get off this blasted island.

It took Terra only three hours to circle the island's shoreline from the air. She reported that it was very nearly bare, with only a small forest and the reasonably sized mountain the _Falcon _had crashed nearby as variations on the blasted, almost desert-like, landscape. Thankfully there was fresh water in the forest and the _Falcon_ had quite a stockpile of preserved foodstuffs. If it was necessary to stay for longer than their supplies could hold them, Terra thought it would be possible to fly from the western shore to the mainland without much trouble. If Setzer's calculations were correct they were directly west of Kohlingen, so it would be theoretically possible to restock there.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. With each breath Shadow released one more fear, one more teasing memory, until his mind was completely clear. He drew Ichigeki and immediately launched into a spinning dance. Thrust, slash, spin, dash, leap, skid, parry. The blade flew through the air in a formless silver streak as the assassin fought the invisible enemies created for his dance. Shadow relished the feeling of power, the complete control over every aspect of his being. In this state there was no need to worry about his past demons or the present troubles. There was only the moment. And it was glorious.

Shadow pivoted in a full circle on the balls of his feet and sent the blade on one last overly flourishing path through the air, a maneuver that was completely impractical in combat, but a difficult test of skill and control nonetheless. With that he stopped, breathing only slightly harder than he had at the start of his dance.

"Impressive form."

Shadow glanced over his shoulder. At some point during his routine Celes had made her way over to the edge of the sandy area. He sheathed his blade and turned to face the former general.

"I try."

She nodded in reply. "I saw some stiffness when you worked to the left."

Shadow looked at her sharply and for a moment Celes thought he might storm off. But all that came was a softening of the eyes and an unconcerned shrug.

"Old shoulder wound that healed bad. It's never been quite right since." What little stiffness there was on his left side was so slight that most would not have caught it. Truth be told, sometimes he didn't even notice anymore! If anyone were to notice it though, it would be Celes. She'd been trained as a soldier since early childhood and been a commander of the Empire's forces since her sixteenth year. It must have galled the experienced soldiers, Shadow thought, to be overseen by a girl who was practically a child in their eyes. General Leo hadn't seemed to mind his much younger co-commander. Of course, Leo had always been a special case.

He rolled the shoulder, noting the sliver of movement the joint denied him. Negligible, especially considering that he once thought the arm would be completely useless.

"Ever thought of having Strago look at it?" Celes remarked as she strolled to the assassin's side. Unlike many, the former general had no fear of the man in black. She never had, though this very well could be due to the fact that when she was first introduced to the infamous assassin she had the might of the Imperial Army at her back and a calm, confident mentor at her side. Neither was with her now, nor had been for years, but Celes still did not feel the slightest bit uncomfortable in Shadow's presence.

Shadow shook his head. "Not worth it."

_That's not why._

He was exceptionally grateful for the opaque mask that hid his silent snarl from the general's view. Before that train of thought could continue, Shadow quickly changed the subject.

"You wanted something."

The statement was correct. There was little other reason Celes would approach him like this. She was not a woman for cordial conversation, certainly not with him, and, like all of their companions, she knew that Shadow practiced his blade work alone. The only person he typically permitted to even _watch_ was persistent little Relm. And that was only because if he forbid her she would find a way to watch him anyway.

"Setzer needs Relm and Strago's magic. He's making replacement parts from scratch and needs a very hot fire to shape the metal. Edgar wants another pair of hands as well: human hands, preferably," Celes replied. There was only so much dexterity in moogle and yeti paws, though their sizes, small and extra-large respectively, made them incredibly useful to the mechanics.

Between the pilot and the engineer, Shadow was certain that the _Falcon_ would eventually be airworthy once more. The two had been working nonstop since Setzer had recovered from his injuries. Shadow had not been certain when they slept, till two days previous when he poked his head into the _Falcon's _twisted bowels and caught Edgar literally asleep on his feet, frozen in the act of tightening a bolt. Setzer was not much better: he was wedged into a pipe just large enough for his coatless body, tools at the ready, snoring away. According to Sabin this was not an uncommon occurrence when his twin was engrossed in a project, so they left the mechanics to their own devices.

Shadow whistled two short, sharp notes. Within seconds Interceptor appeared, brushing past Celes as though she did not exist to get to his boss's side. The assassin started to walk east, the direction he remembered the old coot taking Relm and Gau on their explorative jaunt. He beckoned for Celes to walk with him. After a moment's hesitation, born not of fear, but surprise, she joined him.

"They couldn't have gone far," he said, "Not at the pace the old fool travels."

She nodded in reply and did not mention that they would certainly find them faster if Shadow asked his dog to seek them out. The normally tense and nervous man walked with relaxed ease. He almost seemed to be enjoying their leisurely stroll across the blighted grassland. For Celes, who was used to seeing Shadow move in one of three ways, predatory stalk, slinking through shadows, or full on sprinting charge, this new pace was incredibly fascinating. Perhaps she would make an effort to make their companions give the assassin time and space to practice his blade dances regularly. If they put him in this sort of mood, it could only be beneficial.

"Old fool?" she asked, "That _old fool_, did a commendable job on your wounds. Without my requesting him, I might add."

Shadow snorted and put a hand on Interceptor's head. "Would you have me call him an old fuddy-duddy?"

Celes brought a hand to her mouth to stifle the sudden laugh. _Fuddy-duddy_ was certainly not a word she expected to come out of Shadow's mouth!

Shadow didn't miss the cover up, but decided to pretend he had. "He's been an old fool since the day I met him. He'll be an old fool till the day he dies," he growled. In his opinion, Strago was even more of a fool for changing his attitude towards his onetime worst enemy. Until recently Strago was the _only_ person left among their companions who treated him as he should be treated!

Suddenly Interceptor's head rose and he let out a loud bark. Shadow stopped, holding up a hand to signal Celes to do the same. Something answered Interceptor's bark with rapid fire yelps of distress, intermixed with chilling howls. The dog's hackles rose, but rather than stand his ground or wait for a signal from his boss, Interceptor charged towards the sounds. Behind him, Shadow and Celes broke into a dead run.

It was Gau. It could only be Gau. And something was _wrong!_ The three came upon the wild boy leaping about on the edges of the small desert, whooping, chattering, baying, roaring, and making the distress calls of every monster imaginable.

He was alone. He should not be alone! Where were Relm and the old coot? Shadow went straight up to the frantic boy and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to stop his leaping about.

"Where is Relm?" he snarled.

Gau's eyes rolled and he wrenched himself away from the assassin's grip. "Uwaoooooooo! Uwa-waoooo! Grrrrooww, yi-yi-yi!" The wild boy scrambled around on all fours, stopping every few seconds to dig frantically at the dirt with his hands.

"Gau, what is it!" Celes shouted, putting a hand on her sword hilt.

But if he could hear her, Gau was not listening. Something had upset him to the point where all grasp of the human language evaded him and the boy simply could not put anything into words. He yelped and growled and moaned, bouncing about, evading Shadow's best attempts to grab him. Interceptor was no help either. He had become as wild as the boy and was ignoring all commands. Instead he dug in the sandy soil like an animal possessed, first in one spot, then another.

Shadow had had _enough_. Standing straight he roared out a single word, in a tone that left no room for anything but obedience.

"CEASE!"

Interceptor froze, nose pointed at the ground, paws buried in the dirt, but eyes focused on his boss. Gau was similarly still, with his frantic green eyes fixed on the alpha, the stable one, the only one who could even hope to provide some structure to this _badbadbadbadbadbad_ situation. Even Celes halted in her tracks. There was simply no other option.

For a moment the four of them stood motionless. Then the earth erupted beneath them. Sand, stone, flesh, and bone were drawn into a yawning cavern with a force that could not be resisted. Just as quickly as it appeared, the thing was gone, leaving nothing to indicate it had come at all. Nothing but a mess of tracks, three human and one dog: tracks that were already blowing away in the wind.

0 0 0

_What is this?_ By all rights that should have been an easy question to answer. This was a cavern, a rather large one, filled with its own strange sort of half light. But caverns didn't _leap out of the ground and swallow people whole!_ Grandpa, her grandpa who was supposed to know _everything_ was just as confused! That didn't make Relm feel better in the slightest. What did give her some measure of comfort was that they were not alone. After their chaotic fall through space, who was there to pull them from the pile of debris than their own wayward comrades, Terra, Sabin, and Cyan! The three had set off from the _Falcon _four days ago to explore the island on foot and were apparently eaten by the cavern on day two.

She hoped Gau was alright. Who was she kidding, he was probably fine! He was probably on his way back to the airship right now to get Shadow and Interceptor and anyone else that would come!

Then the ceiling on the other side of the cavern opened up and let in an avalanche of dirt and stone. Relm sighed. Or he got sucked in to the living cave too.

The fact that his fall was cushioned by sand did not comfort Shadow in the slightest, as that same sand was also cascading down from above at a rapid rate, pinning his arms and legs and working its way into every space on his person. He shut his eyes tightly and held his breath, but it was no help. The intense weight on his chest pushed the stored air out and when he instinctively tried to suck more in, his mouth filled with sand. The realization of what was happening hit him like a thunderclap and Shadow began to struggle against the sand's hold. If he could just get one hand to his face to clear the mask!

The weight of the sand suddenly began to dissipate. With every layer removed Shadow could struggle more easily, could hear the screaming howl of wind as it tore his tomb away. Something grabbed his boot in strong jaws and Shadow could only hope it was Interceptor, rather than a monster who would happily take advantage of his helpless state. The creature tugged at him hard, and Shadow felt it growl. Then a pair of hands broke through the last of the sand covering his right shoulder and grabbed hold.

_I don't know whether or not the gods hate me today_ was Shadow's last thought as his rescuers hauled him free.

With her eyes shielded against the sandstorm created by her grandpa's _Aero_ Relm could only see vague shapes of Terra, Sabin, and Cyan as they waded in to search for survivors. Sabin's unmistakable bulk returned first, with a squirming, Gau suspended from one hand by the scruff of his neck. The wild boy whined and scrubbed his sand filled eyes with equally dirt covered hands, but quieted at the . . . sight . . . sound . . . or maybe it was smell . . . of friends. Next came Terra with Celes, both of whom had the general's cloak draped over their heads to protect them from the worst of the stinging sand.

Strago abruptly cut off the spell. The debris in the air took its time settling over everything, but Relm could still see three outlines through the haze. The first had four legs, the second was tall and broad, though not so much as Sabin. The third was lean, clothed in black, and staggering about, frantically clawing at his face.

_Can't breathe, can't see! _Shadow tried to gasp, but that only served to remind him of the far too much sand wedged tightly under his mask. The sand was everywhere, choking, blinding, shrouding. It made the fingers that grasped frantically for the mask's clasps next to useless, rendered those clasps impossible to open with the tiny grits wedged deep in every crevice.

"Shadow!"

_No! _He could have wailed his frustration and fear. _Don't let her see this! Don't let her watch me _. . . spots of light started to dance across the darkness of his vision . . . _don't let her watch me die!_

"Grandpa, he can't breathe!"

"Sand's stuck under the damn mask!"

"Interceptor, get bac- ARRGG! Shiva's frozen-"

"Shadow, hold on!"

The shouting and barking fuzzed together in Shadow's oxygen starved brain. Someone grabbed onto his arms and partially guided, but mostly dragged, his staggering form a good distance away before letting go. A calloused hand braced itself against the assassin's forehead while another secured a solid grip on the stiff mask. With a sharp jerk Shadow felt the clasps snap and the mask come free, allowing the choking sand to fall away and blessedly sweet air to take its place. He coughed weakly. A fist fell on his back like a hammer blow. It drove the assassin to his knees, but it also jolted more of the debris from his airways, allowing Shadow to take a much needed deep breath.

Air rushed into his lungs and was just as quickly expelled in powerful hacking coughs. Only when his breathing quieted to wheezes did Shadow attempt to clear the sand from his eyes . . . and around his mouth and nose.

"Shadow, here." Cyan, Shadow recognized. The warrior placed a reasonably clean handkerchief in Shadow's palm. It certainly did a better job than the assassin's sand covered gloves and soon Shadow was able to open his eyes. Not that he was particularly looking forward to doing so.

His mask was gone. In pulling it off his face Cyan, for Shadow knew it had to be Cyan that saved him, not only broke the clasps beyond repair, but cracked the mask itself. It lay on the ground several feet away, broken and useless. He shuddered. That mask was his shield, his safe haven! The distance it created between himself and those around him, though for the most part symbolic, was a part of him! Without that distance he could be mistaken for someone who was not Shadow. A fool. A traitor. A coward.

Interceptor bowled past Cyan to shove his nose into his boss's face. Shadow didn't resist as the dog's tongue swiped from chin to cheek, dragging over the stubble and grit.

"Good dog," he whispered, "Easy boy, I'm alright." Interceptor stopped his ministrations and whined. What would he see when he finally looked up from his loyal dog? Five pairs of eyes at least, curious, prying. Perhaps even accusing. Shadow bared his teeth and let out an angry growl.

_No one should know._ It doesn't matter.

_It was too long ago_. Not long enough.

_Does it matter anymore?_

He looked up. Cyan's craggy face was tilted down, the dark eyes watching him with concern. No one else. Shadow blinked in confusion. Celes and Gau had fallen with him and he'd heard at least four other distinct voices while blinded, Relm's among them! But there was only Cyan and Interceptor. Shadow blinked a few more times and cautiously peered around. He was in a shallow alcove in a cave wall. Cyan stood between him and the larger cavern area . . . shielding him from the gaze of their six companions.

Cyan must have seen the confusion on his face. He spoke quietly, so only the two of them could hear. "Thou offered me protection in mine most vulnerable moment. Tis only right I offer the same to thee." He held out a hand to the kneeling assassin, which Shadow took, though his arm was shaking badly. Cyan helped him to his feet, regardless, then turned to their companions, leaving the shuddering assassin to lean against his dog and stare.

"Dost any of thee possess a temporary replacement for Sir Shadow's mask?" he called out.

A replacement for Shadow's mask? At first Relm felt hurt. Shadow had spent so much time with all of them, but still wasn't comfortable showing his face? Then she remembered Doma Castle. As strong as Shadow seemed he was still very, very damaged inside. She could not accept what he believed, that he was too broken to heal, but she understood that such healing would take a very long time. He was her friend, and as much as she _really _wanted to see what he looked like under his mask, Relm would do anything to help him not hurt or fear. She thought a moment, then gave a little shout of triumph. That would work perfectly! Well, not quite as perfect as the stiff fitted mask, but it would cover his face without trouble. She tugged at the knot on the red sash with one hand and removed the various pencils, paintbrushes, and sticks of charcoal stuck through it with the other.

When Relm stepped forward from the others, Shadow took as step back. Two more steps and his back bumped the cave wall. He could not let Relm see his face. Anyone else he could deal with the consequences, as minor or major as they might be. But not her.

"Shadow?" She came no closer, even though Shadow could see it in her posture that she wanted to. "Will this work?"

The sash she held up was of a thick, opaque red cloth. _Bright_ red cloth. It was also long enough to wrap around his face several times. He nodded. She must have seen his head move, because she balled the sash up and tossed it in his direction before retreating back to the others. He caught it easily, though his arm was still shaking.

"Relm." At his rasp she turned to look at him. Her pretty hazel eyes worked as hard as they could to pierce the shadows, to get the slightest details of his face. But she didn't come closer, didn't even suggest he come out of hiding. That meant more to Shadow than he could ever hope to say. "Thank you."

It only took a moment to wrap the sash around the lower half of his face and tie the two ends together in a tight knot behind his head. Not nearly as effective as his mask, but it would do. With his face finally hidden Shadow felt confident enough to creep out from behind Cyan. As he reached the older warrior's side he placed a black gloved hand on his shoulder.

"This . . . this means more to me than you know," Shadow said with a voice that he was _just_ able to keep from trembling. Cyan did not reply. For a moment, with the Doman's dark eyes looking deeply into his, Shadow felt as Relm did on occasions when words were neither said, nor needed between them. Cyan knew.

The moment ended when Relm rushed forward and threw her arms around his waist. Her actions were a catalyst and soon Shadow found himself surrounded. Several people spoke at once, offering healing, confirming his well-being, even some good natured teasing. Shadow shook his head and declined all that was offered. He was surprised to find that he'd stopped shaking.

"I thought you were going to die!" Relm whimpered. Despite her best efforts she was forced to keep her head buried in Shadow's shirt to hide her tears. Damn it all! How was she supposed to convince everyone that she was grown up when she cried like a child! But she couldn't help it . . . Shadow promised . . .

"Easy, girl," Shadow said softly, placing both hands on her shoulders, "I'm alright. I'm here." He didn't care that the old coot stood not three feet away. He didn't care that everyone could see.

Abruptly Relm pulled back. In the space of two seconds the fear and sadness were gone from her face, replaced by a familiar cocky grin. She planted her hands on her hips and stared up at him.

"You owe me. For the sash."

To their right, Sabin let out a loud bark of laughter. Shadow just cocked his head to the side, as if confused. Relm held up a hand filled with various drawing implements.

"Where am I supposed to put these with my sash wrapped around your face?"

Terra's unsure giggles joined the monk's chuckling. Shadow's shoulders moved in an unconcerned shrug, but it was clear to everyone that his face held a teasing smile underneath the garish red cloth.

"Not my problem."

"Not your problem!" Relm echoed indignantly. Strago sighed, muttering something about his incorrigible granddaughter while Gau let out a few amused yips.

"It is entirely your problem!" Oh, she knew she looked ridiculous. She also knew that everyone was laughing at her. But after the scare they just had, and with _still_ not knowing where in the world they were, she thought everyone needed a good laugh right now. To top it off, Shadow was going along with it! She could _not_ pass this opportunity up! Closing the few feet between herself and the assassin with a bounce, Relm poked him firmly in the chest. That did it for Cyan and Celes, the last holdouts of mirth. Hearing the two stalwart military commanders' stifled laughter was music to Relm's ears.

She looked up at Shadow and winked. He did not reply in turn, but she saw that his shoulders shook in that way Relm knew meant he was silently laughing as well. Shoulders shaking, eyes reflecting the smile that was hidden, Shadow reached to his belt and undid one of black leather pouches. It was large enough to fit all of Relm's art supplies alongside the stack of shruiken that were already inside. He tossed it to her.

Relm opened up the pouch, and upon seeing the throwing stars opened her mouth to say something. Shadow promptly interrupted her.

"Keep it." Relm smiled, a devious smile that Strago was _not_ happy to witness, and tied the pouch to her own belt, next to the pocket she kept her sketchbook.

"Now," Shadow looked around at his companions, noting how many made poor attempts to stifle their amusement at his face. He would need to get a new mask. _Soon_. "Where are we?"

0 0 0

"Alright, now that we've established that we're stuck in the dimension of Worm Gut, how do we get out of it?" Though he was the one voicing it, Sabin did not seem overly concerned with their predicament. He was sprawled out on the ground with one hand behind his head, the other held in front of his face as he inspected his new set of scars. Never again would he try to hold Interceptor back when that dog wanted to go somewhere!

No one seemed overly worried. Shadow certainly wasn't. He leaned back against the cave wall and stroked a dozing Interceptor, whose head rested in his lap. Every cave had an entrance and every cave had an exit, all they needed to do was find it. If nine of the most competent adventurers in the world could not find their way out of a goddamn desert worm, then they certainly couldn't call themselves ready to take on a god!

The far side of the cavern opened up with a sudden roar. As another ton of sand rushed in everyone leapt to their feet. _Ten adventurers, then_. Sabin was first into the rushing torrent and emerged quickly dragging a familiar figure by the back of his sand stained blue cloak. Edgar must have been the only one to be swallowed this time, since Sabin waved them all back when they approached to help. Neither seemed worse for the wear when they got close enough for Shadow to get a good look, though Edgar was rather surprised by it all.

"What?!" the mechanic king sputtered, "Where?! How?!"

His brother just laughed. "May we welcome you, dear brother, to the sovereign nation of Worm Gut. Since I fell in first, I have claimed it as my own. Figaro shall fear the might of Worm Gut and it's-" he did a quick head count, "Eight inhabitants! Now that we've captured their king they will undoubtedly surrender without a fight!"

"Hey! Who said we were your subjects?" Relm said with over exaggerated indignation.

Sabin ignored her. "What say you, former king of Figaro?"

Edgar's blue eyes shifted between staring at his brother incredulously and scanning the grinning faces of his companions. His face was stern, mouth held in a stiff frown. Then a muscle in his cheek twitched. The corner of his lips jerked. Abruptly his serious façade dropped and the Figaroan king doubled over laughing.

"Hahahahaha! I say that you're a special kind of crazy, Sabin! And you all are an even more special kind of crazy for letting that great bear call himself a king!"

Shadow took note of everyone's reactions, which ranged from Cyan's quiet chuckle to Sabin's roaring belly laugh. Laughter was really the only way to react to this situation. Swallowed by a giant worm that happened to have an entire cave system in its stomach, or at least a portal to one. All of them alive and well, despite the danger of their entrance. Sabin declaring himself a king. The garish, red, tasseled sash wrapped around his face in place of the intimidating mask.

"Heh … hehheh … hehhahahaha!"

Everything was just so ridiculous! Soon his whole body convulsed with laughter. It wasn't long before he noticed a few of his companions . . . his friends . . . looking at him in amazement. Most of them probably did not think him capable of laughter. But they didn't say anything. They just laughed with him.

Together.

0 0 0

Why in the world there was a small army of identical little men running back and forth across a series of platforms spanning a wide canyon, none of them had the slightest idea. It was doubtful that they were even sentient! No matter how much noise was made or how many different languages were used to speak to them, the little things just continued on their pattern-less way. As an experiment Shadow even tossed a small stone at one. The missile bounced harmlessly off of its chest and the creature didn't act as if it had noticed a thing.

"Looks safe enough," Sabin remarked. Without waiting for comment from the others he sprang onto the first platform. As soon as his feet hit the wood a dramatic change came over the little man. It abruptly spun around and charged at Sabin. The platform was too narrow to allow the big monk to dodge away, and he was too surprised at the speeding missile of a creature that was headed straight for his knees to have done so anyway.

_Thwump!_ The creature flung Sabin off the platform as if he weighed nothing at all. He disappeared into the darkness of the canyon with a rapidly diminishing yell of shock and anger.

Edgar quickly sprang into action. He rushed over to the cliff's edge and started to pull various tools from his bag. "Cyan and Gau, you two hold the axel of this pulley between you. I'm going to lower myself down. One of you pretty ladies should come with me because I have no idea what shape my brother will be in down there. Now we're going to need a counterweight for you to drop when we need to come up. While I'm down there you'll have to find a better way to secure the pulley, it'll be far too much weight for you two to handle on your own. Shadow, can you take care of . . ." Edgar's voice petered out as his ears picked up a very familiar noise. From _above them_.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Shadow shook his head. He _could not_ have just seen that! It was impossible! Beside him his friends were having similar reactions.

"Was that just?" Relm asked incredulously.

"It can't be," Celes replied.

"AAAAAAhhhhhh!" It took three more passes for Shadow to really believe his eyes and ears were not playing some kind of trick on him, but finally he could deny it no longer. Every eight seconds, Sabin was falling past them.

Cyan's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "What devilish sorcery is this?"

"A circular dimension?" Strago wondered aloud, "One with no beginning or end, looping back on itself forever more?"

_Good words for your book, old fool_, Shadow thought. He moved forward to the cliff's edge to join the still shell-shocked Edgar in watching the monk repeatedly fall past. The rustle of cloth on his left and tap of claws on stone to his right told him that Relm and Interceptor were there as well. The little artist snickered.

"Ha!" Edgar suddenly threw his head back, "You're right, darling, this is quite funny!"

"IS NOT!" Sabin bellowed as he shot past.

"Is too!" Edgar retorted the next time he passed them by.

"SOMEONE GET ME Out of this!" Sabin's voice diminished, until eight seconds later when he fell past again, "SO I CAN THROTLE HIM!"

It would take some time and ingenuity, they thought, to somehow catch the huge man falling at terminal velocity without being dragged into the endless cycle themselves. To Shadow's amusement, partway through the discussion Gau left their little huddle and went to sit by the cliff. The wild boy made a strange noise in his throat, halfway between a growl and a cat-like meow, then suddenly leapt to the nearest platform. The platform's resident little man was far at the other end so Gau had plenty of time to spin around and leap back across with feline grace. He timed the leap back expertly to coincide with Sabin's fall. Shadow watched as Gau used the jump's momentum to bolster a vicious swipe at the falling monk, a technique Sabin had long ago dubbed_ Cat Scratch_. The impact from the attack turned Sabin's flight from vertical to horizontal, sending him soaring over their companions' heads to crash ungracefully to the ground. Gau landed easily on all fours, looking quite pleased with himself.

It took the monk all of three seconds to scramble to his feet and dash back to the cliff's edge. He was _fuming_!

"Gods be damned little green asshats!" he roared at the uncaring little men, "You're not going to get the best of Sabin Rene Figaro!"

"Young man!" Strago barked, "Language!"

Her grandpa thought _that_ was bad language? Well, he would certainly have a thing or two to say if he knew what she'd been exposed to traveling over the past two years. Some of the things she'd heard could probably blister even Setzer's ears! But she had to admit that the admonition did serve to calm Sabin down considerably. As it was she was half sure that he was about to jump back on the platform and try to punch that little man into oblivion, consequences be damned!

Sabin turned to Strago and shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Got a bit carried away."

Edgar laughed, a sound that was more and expression of relief at having his brother safe and sound than humor. He slapped the larger man hard on the shoulder. "We expect it of you, brother!"

The old man accepted Sabin's apology with a nod. Sabin immediately went back to staring at the strange creatures, muttering curses under his breath all the while.

"Hey, Cyan, can I borrow your shield?" Shadow shook his head and sighed. The young monk was prideful and could never back down from a challenge. Eventually this would be his downfall. The little green asshats, that name did certainly make Shadow smile, didn't look like they would be the ones to do him in, but someday, somewhere, someone or something would.

Cyan had an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he handed over the large heavy shield, the same one he'd used since he'd literally fallen upon it after unintentionally crashing through a rotted door in Narshe. Why a shield with Doma's coat of arms was in Narshe Cyan did not know. Though it went against all morals, he couldn't help taking it. It called to him with a voice he couldn't resist. For months it, with its constant reminder of the home he failed to save, weighed him down. Many times he could have sworn it made him literally ill. But no more. Now the shield and everything it represented was a source of strength: a reminder the pain, but also of love and friendship.

When Sabin slipped his hands into the shield's handholds a look of surprise came over his face. The older warrior normally tended towards much heavier shields than this. Not that Sabin couldn't handle a little extra weight, but this was something that even he would consider fighting with! It was heavy enough to have presence, but light enough to accommodate a hand to hand fighting style.

The shield changed. Shadow, Relm, Cyan, _no one_ believed their eyes when they saw the stylized wolf head of Doma emblazoned on the shield shift to the Figaro family crest. And not just any Figaro family crest, Edgar realized, but one that seemed tailor made for his brother, adding a pair of crossed fists beneath the castle and a coin, head side showing, balanced within the X those fists formed. When Sabin caught on to what everyone else was gaping at, he stared, shocked, for a few moments as well. Then he wordlessly slipped his hand free and offered the shield to his brother.

Edgar took it. Upon fixing it to his arm the design shifted ever so slightly, keeping the Figaro crest, but replacing the crossed fists with crossed tools and adding a crown to the head featured on the coin. A shield that changed with its wielder? What sort of magic was this? Shadow subtly moved away as the artifact passed from person to person. The design shown seemed to reflect something about or important to the wielder. Gau's was the print from a behemoth's paw. Terra, a magicite crystal flanked on three sides by the primary magical elements. The shield's design shifted to a sword with a distinctly bird shaped hilt for Celes and the unmistakable image of Hidon for Strago. He did not want to know what the shield would show for him. Did he?

When Relm offered it to him after the shining metal emblazoned itself with a circle outlined thickly in black and divided into the seven colors of the rainbow, he accepted it without question.

_You _are_ curious._

Yes. Curious and nervous. Keeping a close eye on the shield front, Shadow slipped his hand into the grip. The many colored circle faded away and the image of a black dog appeared in its place. The dog's head was held high, tail parallel to the ground. Ten small black points formed a circle around it.

Before anyone could comment, Shadow offered the shield back to its true owner. "That is some powerful magic."

"Aye," Cyan agreed, running his hand over the wolf's head sigil as it appeared again, "I hadn't the slightest inkling."

What Shadow didn't voice was the feeling that his chest was close to bursting. But not from pain or anxiety. What filled him was something so ancient and unfamiliar that he was having trouble pining down exactly _what_ it was. It pushed away everything else, from the hurt of his scraped throat to the phantoms gnawing at the edges of his memory, and left him feeling something he hadn't felt in a long time.

_You aren't going to leave me, are you?_ The fevered voice slipped into his conscious thoughts. His voice, laced with terror brought on by confusion and agony, not all of it physical, from a long, long past.

_Shhh, easy there. I'm not going to leave you. Why would you think that? _That reply in her soft sweet voice, comforting a man she thought was at death's door. Those words, _I'm not going to leave you_, they made him feel like this once. When he was hurt, confused, and dying, those words calmed him, gave him the strength to carry on. They gave him hope.

Yes, there certainly was some powerful magic in that shield.

0 0 0

Celes looked out over the expanse of platforms. More specifically, at the strange little men that inhabited them. Sabin tried several more times to out-muscle the creatures, with the same result each time. Magic had no effect either. She straightened her shoulders and set her sights on the opposite side of the canyon: their goal. If they couldn't reach it the traditional way, they'd just have to try something else.

She turned to her companions and cleared her throat to get their attention. Everyone looked at her expectantly, save Gau who couldn't keep his eyes off the erratic movements of the strange creatures on the platforms. Cyan, noticing the wild boy's distraction, walked over and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, whispering admonishments in his ear. As always, Gau was quick to fix his lapse in manners.

Celes decided to get right to the point. "If we're going to find a way out we need to cross this cavern. I want everyone to partner up. If one of you falls, the other will pull them out of it. Avoid the creatures-"

"Asshats," Sabin mumbled while Edgar elbowed him hard in the ribs. Celes ignored him.

"Avoid the creatures if you can. Whoever reaches the other side first can begin exploration. The sooner we find an exit, the better."

Shadow was unsurprised to see Cyan take a step back and shake his head. The old warrior may have been as strong as a man many years his junior, but his agility left much to be desired.

"I shall stay behind," he told Celes, "I dost not trust myself with such a feat."

Next to him Gau let out a disappointed whine. He didn't want to leave someone he cared about alone. The last time he did that they got eaten while he wasn't looking! No, no, no, not again! The wild boy grabbed Cyan's sleeve and tugged, his eyes widening pitifully.

"You come?"

Cyan looked a little surprised, but genuinely touched by Gau's request. He slowly shook his head before answering gently, "I shall be here when thou returns."

"No!" Gau yelped, "I help! I help thou!"

"Sir Gau . . ."

"You come," Gau whimpered, "Please?"

It could have been the incredibly pathetic pleading tone. Or perhaps it was the use of thou rather than you and the rare please. Whatever it was, it caused Cyan's resolve to shatter into a million pieces. He put his hand on Gau's shoulder and smiled. A genuine smile.

"Alright, I shall accompany thee."

Gau's wild whoop of joy brought out a smile on everyone's face. Even Shadow couldn't help the grin that formed under the garish scarf. Seeing Cyan, and by extension Gau, so happy was a welcome change from what they had been accustomed to for the past few years. Before anyone could make any sort of comment, Gau dragged Cyan off to the cliff's edge yelping and yipping happily the entire way. Within moments they were on the first platform, quickly followed by the second as the wild boy channeled some sort of monster's spirit and very nearly tossed the older man out of the charging asshat's way.

"Come on!" Sabin said with a wide grin, "First ones across get free drinks from everyone else!" He and his brother were swift to follow, leaping out onto the platforms with exuberant shouts. Edgar was promptly ambushed and pushed into space.

Strago snorted at the impetuous men, more like boys compared to him. They certainly acted like children, not a king and a near master monk! Unlike them, _he_ would certainly be acting his age.

"I'll stay here. Relm, you too."

"What?!" Relm's indignant shout was loud enough to cause Sabin, who had just rescued his falling brother, to turn his head. This distraction proved the perfect opportunity for one of the little green asshats to ram into his knees, sending him flying.

Her grandfather was unfazed. "I will NOT have you risking your neck like that!"

"But Grandpa!" There was nothing to risk her neck on! There was no canyon floor to worry about if she lost her footing- no way she'd let herself get surprised by the little men- she'd just keep falling until someone saved her!

"I don't have a partner," Shadow rasped quietly, "Relm can come across with me. Interceptor will stay here with you."

Vehement disapproval and fear, that was what Shadow expected in response. For a moment the dark cloud that passed over the old mage's face looked like the precursor to exactly that. But there was also conflict. Should he do as he had always done and keep little Relm, the most precious thing in his life, safe at all costs? Could he trust that she would be safe with someone else? With _him?_ While Strago appeared suspended in his confusion, the assassin motioned to Relm to follow him while simultaneously forming the _Don't Follow_ sign for Interceptor.

"Keep her safe!"

Shadow did not turn around in response to the strangled shout. If he had, he wasn't sure if his carefully schooled composure would keep.

"Don't worry, Grandpa!" Relm yelled back. Her pretty hazel eyes were alight with fierce joy. She had no doubts that between her grandpa's magic and Interceptor's strength that the two would be fine by themselves. As long as they didn't turn on each other, that is! And without anything to create conflict between the pair, mainly Shadow and herself, Interceptor would most likely pace the canyon edge till they returned and her grandpa would sit to jot down some notes.

_He trusts you_. Why? But the sight of the bottomless cavern punctuated by the various platforms and the curious creatures pushed those thoughts away. There would be time to dwell on such things later, whether or not Shadow wanted to. Right now he had a task and a goal in mind: get to the other side with Relm.

The creature's movements were pattern-less as far as he could tell. They would have to be fast, very fast. There was a moment of doubt when Shadow considered whether or not he could achieve the sort of speed needed with Relm, but he pushed that away. Her legs may not be long, but her reactions were quick and she was extremely light. If all else failed he was quite sure he could pick the little artist up and bolt the rest of the way to safety.

He offered a hand to Relm, who took it without hesitation. "You ready, girl?"

She grinned, "Let's go!"

They jumped, Shadow's more powerful leap pulling Relm some of the distance she may not have made herself. As soon as their feet hit the platform he ran four steps, quickly gauging the distance between them and the little asshat on the next platform, then leapt again. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Relm's wide smile and her eyes alight with excitement. She kept pace with him surprisingly well, not even needing much aide while jumping. Muscles bunching beneath them, Shadow and Relm practically flew to the next safe space, fractions of an inch ahead of the charging little man. Leap, sprint, spring, backtrack, leap again Every movement needed to be precise and perfect, just as in his pattern dances. A single mistake would send him and Relm hurtling into nothingness. But there were no mistakes. Only complete and utter mastery, not only of himself but of the entire situation. Nothing could touch him: he knew this. And as a result, nothing could touch _her_.

With a muffled thud the assassin and artist's boot soles hit the opposite edge of the canyon. Had Shadow at any point in their crossing been worried, he would have let out a relieved sigh. Instead he turned to look back at the dangerous expanse they'd traversed, at Edgar holding out the butt of his spear to a falling Sabin, Celes and Terra trying to judge a leap, and the old coot, with Interceptor right beside him, waiting on the opposite side. Under the garish scarf his lips formed a triumphant grin.

At his side Relm pumped her fist in the air. "Alright! I knew we could do it!" But before she could thank Shadow as she'd been planning, a bouncing ball of wild boy nearly knocked her over in his exuberance.

"Uwaoo! Relm get across!"

Nearby Shadow noticed Cyan bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. The old warrior appeared unharmed, though his pale complexion and incredibly heavy breathing was testament to the harried crossing.

"Sir," _wheeze_, "Gau," _cough_, "tis 'Lady Relm," _wheeze_, "Thou hast made it," _wheeze_, "across.'"

Gau let out a little whine, but repeated the words without so much as a pause for breath. Then it was right back to the two children jabbering back and forth.

"Did you see us! Those stupid asshats never came close!"

"Yeah, yeah, yow! You fast!"

"Faster than you!" Relm teased.

Gau shook his head and bared his teeth in that friendly manner of his. "Gau fast. Shadow most fast. You less fast!"

"Hey!"

The children's lighthearted squabbling escalated into a mock battle when Relm playfully threw herself at the larger boy. It surprised him enough to knock him sprawling, but Gau was quick to recover. With a happy growl he grabbed Relm's wrist and pulled her down with him, quickly rolling over so he had her pinned against the ground. Relm struggled, but could do nothing against Gau's incredible strength.

"Shadow!" she whined.

He shook his head, doing his darndest to keep the widening smile beneath the scarf from reaching his eyes and failing miserably. Well, fine then! If he was going to be unhelpful then she'd just have to deal with things herself! Just reciting the words to _Thunder_ wouldn't necessarily cause the spell to go off, but it would bring with it the sharp little sparks of static electricity that danced along her hands, just at about the point where Gau held them pinned. He jumped back with a yelp and Relm stopped casting to scramble to her feet. This time she was ready when he lunged at her and they both went down, tussling in the dirt like disobedient five year olds.

On the sidelines Cyan laughed. "Enough! If thou must expand thine energy, why dost thou not scout ahead?" Though in most cases he would have been apprehensive in letting two children alone in a cave, there had been little in this place to indicate danger. He also recognized that these were far from ordinary children and were well able to look out for themselves.

Gau poked his head up from the tussle. "You come?"

"I'll stay here," Shadow rasped without thinking. Cyan still needed to catch his breath and . . . Shadow's heart skipped a few beats . . . he didn't want his friend to be alone. This answer seemed to satisfy the wild boy. He and Relm scrambled up to race each other for the unexplored part of the cave.

"Sir Gau is a fine young man," Cyan commented after they left, a fond smile lingering on his lips, "Uncouth and excitable, but a fine young man."

For having had such little human contact over the course of his life Gau was indeed remarkably well adjusted. He was still incredibly out of place when it came to "normal" society, but even that was getting better. Shadow was noticing a lot of small changes, the use of a fork when eating, the expanding vocabulary, the acceptance of a pair of shoes, that appeared to be just the tip of the iceberg in the boy's development. Most of these, he suspected, were the direct result of the influence of one elderly Doman.

"He's a good kid," Shadow replied. He leaned back against the cave wall, staring into the passageway Relm and Gau had disappeared into. "Needs a father."

Cyan's moustache jerked. He straightened to look the assassin in the eye. For a moment Shadow thought he was going to deny it. Deny the fact that Gau followed him like a puppy, deny the fact that it was him who the boy listened to most, deny the fact that he needed someone to care for as much as Gau needed someone to care for him. His fond smile morphed into a serious frown and his eyes seemed to darken several shades. A callused hand moved to Shadow's shoulder, fingers tightening as if to prevent escape.

"As does Relm."

Of all thing things Cyan could have said, nothing could have affected Shadow more. Abruptly he jerked his shoulder out of the older warrior's grip and turned away.

"Don't say that," he rasped. He could feel Cyan flinch at the sudden chill in his voice. He intended to stop there, to let the old Doman know that this was _not _a topic that was to be discussed. But, not of his own volition, more words came. These were less cold. They were pleading. Desperate. "Please. Don't say that."

Dark eyes blinked, surprised. To Shadow's relief Cyan didn't ask for an explanation. He didn't push, didn't pry. All he did was nod. Shadow had a right to keep his secrets, a right that Cyan would never think to breach.

"Shall we join our young fellows?"

Shadow gratefully bobbed his head an affirmative. He fell into place behind the older warrior without a word as they set off down the corridor. It was a pleasant change, he reflected, to not have to fight a denial of information. As deeply as he cared for Relm, she could still be incredibly stubborn when something was hidden from her. To have someone accept that he wasn't going to share his hurts and simply move on like nothing was wrong was an incredible relief.

Gradually Cyan slowed his stride till he and Shadow were walking side by side. He could tell the younger man was hurting, broken, afraid, and had been so for a long time. This was the least Cyan could do to let Shadow know that he no longer needed to face everything alone.

0 0 0

They could hear Relm and Gau's young voices echoing through the cave. The two were close, most likely just beyond this large room. A flash of red from across the expanse proved their suppositions without a doubt. Together the assassin and warrior strode towards the distant splash of color that stood out like a behemoth among moogles against the uniform grey walls of the cave.

That splash of color wove back and forth as Relm illustrated to Gau some of the more impressive footwork she'd seen in her spying on Shadow's practice sessions, footwork that she would have happily employed had that strangely clothed person at the end of the cave demanded it. Boring thing. He/she/it had every opportunity in the world to make a fantastic game out of making Relm and Gau follow his/her/its every move and he/she/it just stood there! Then, to top it all off, the person disappeared without a trace! Boring and a liar! They wild boy tried to copy the movements but almost inevitably ended up with his limbs tangled. Abruptly Relm stopped. Gau nearly crashed into her and almost asked what was wrong before instead turning to follow her terrified gaze. Cyan and Shadow were halfway across the cave, walking along without a care in the world.

Maybe it wouldn't happen. This strange magic place had almost killed her and Gau- a fact they were most certainly NOT going to let anyone else know- but that didn't mean it would do it again! The cave started to shake.

"RUN!" she screamed. Beside her Gau did the same, without a single bestial noise interfering in the message. Despite her heart's first impulse to bolt into the cave and physically drag them to safety if she had to, instinct kept her feet firmly rooted to safety.

Cave in, was his first thought, borne from spending some time in the mines of Narshe in years past, but this didn't act like any cave in he'd ever seen or heard of. Stone scraped stone above his head and Shadow dared to flick his gaze towards the ceiling: the ceiling that was moving _up_! A terrible thought entered his mind, a thought consistent with Relm and Gau's absolute terror at their predicament.

What goes up must come down.

A tingling feeling spread through his body and Shadow's pace increased dramatically. _Haste_, a spell that Relm had only just learned and that Gau had known for some time. The little artist tended to prefer the flashier spells, especially ones that sent bolts of lighting streaking from her hands, but it appeared that some of Strago's lectures about having a well rounded spell repertoire had made an influence. He'd have to thank the old man for that.

His body adjusted to the magical aide quickly, subconsciously making adjustments to balance, stride length, and even vision to match up with his rapid movement. The tingling increased to a blaze akin to that of a wildfire as it raced through him, endowing such a feeling of speed and power as he had never known. Before he could blink, it seemed, he was across the cave and skidding to a stop at Relm's side.

Alone.

Relm screamed, Gau bellowed, and Shadow whirled. But there was nothing any of them could do. As the ceiling rushed down they got a glimpse of Cyan sprawled on the ground after his legs had tangled in the unfamiliar _Haste_ fueled rush. Instinctually the warrior rolled and raised his shield towards the descending mass. But no shield, not of steel, magic, or magiced steel could hope to stop several thousand tons of freefalling stone.

"ULTIMA!"

The powerful voice cut through the sound of falling stone and anguished cries, one of which Shadow was shocked to realize was his own. A pinprick of light appeared just where the stone would have hit Cyan's upraised shield. Then the world exploded.

A wave of pure magical power burst from a central focal point and rolled through the cave complex like a wrathful storm. Stone, sand, and flesh bent and broke before the relentless onslaught. Shadow, Relm, and Gau were thrown back, the walls behind them disintegrating under the intense magical power. When they finally did stop it was not stone or sand they landed in, but ripped and scalded flesh. Then, as abruptly as it had come, the magic disappeared.

Mindful of the incredible force his body had just endured, Shadow slowly extricated himself from a tangle of shattered bone and rose to his feet. For nearly sixty feet in every direction the ground was covered in gore. The terrific magical power must have not only torn the fabric of the alternate dimension, but also blown apart the host from the inside. Three spots of movement turned into six standing figures as Celes, Terra, the Figaro brothers, the old coot, and Interceptor shakily brought themselves to their feet. Interceptor was so stunned by everything that he didn't even flinch when the old coot, without thinking, put a hand on the dog's back and used it to lever himself up.

Relm made a noise of disgust as she reached down to untangle her legs from what may have been intestine. Next to her Gau had shifted from lying down to crouching with eyes wider than saucers, as if he were too surprised to fully stand. Shadow reached down and hooked his hands under Relm's arms, lifting her up and out of the tangle before placing her on her own two feet. She flashed him a quick smile of thanks. That bright smile and those pretty hazel eyes looked out of place coming from a face masked in blood.

"Now you match the scarf," she commented. He let out an amused snort in reply. Like everyone else he was covered from head to foot in worm blood. It was a darn good thing this was an island surrounded by an ocean, not like the many landlocked deserts formed after Kefka's ascent. Dried blood was never a pleasant thing to walk around with on one's clothing, especially not to this extent.

Gau shook like a dog, spraying the assassin and artist with even more blood and bits of flesh, before finally straightening. He scanned the area and shook his head hard. But when he stopped and looked again, everything was still the same. The desert was still covered in red and he could only see eight of his friends. He let out a pained moan.

Shadow reached out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, but a muffled sound made him pause. He cocked his head to better pinpoint the noise's location and took a few hesitant steps in what he believed was the proper direction. The blood soaked sand was treacherous, sucking his boots in up to the ankles with every step. He could only imagine the difficulties the much heavier Figaro brothers and armored Celes were going through.

With a careful hop Shadow placed himself on top of a mostly whole rib bone with an arching curve that allowed him an elevated view of the devastation. Blood, shattered bone, and shredded flesh for nearly sixty feet in every direction, just as he had observed on ground level. What he _hadn't_ seen was that at the very center of the destruction was a small crater, perhaps eight feet in diameter, that was completely free of mess. But it was not empty.

"What do you see?" Relm had followed him. Relm always followed him. Shadow was mildly amused to find that this didn't bother him anymore. _Do you see Cyan? _That was her real question. That question was echoed in every aspect of her gangly companion, from Gau's pleading eyes the whimpers that came through his lips with every exhale.

He didn't answer. Instead he leapt from the blood slick bone to land just far enough from the crater so that he could not look inside. Shadow knew what he thought he saw from his perch, but there was no way in hell he was going to tell Relm, and certainly not Gau, without confirming it first. No reason to get their hopes up if he was wrong.

Moving the last few feet to the cavern's lip, Shadow peered down. The sight that greeted him made his heart skip a few beats, more from shock than anything. At the bottom of the hip deep crater, lying with shield upraised and an utterly flabbergasted look on his face was Cyan. He looked more haggard than ever and his formerly black eyebrows and moustache appeared to have been bleached bone white, but he was alive!

He blinked and stared questioningly at the assassin. "Art thou," he began unsteadily, "Art thou unharmed?"

Gods be damned chivalrous idiot! He wasn't the one who had been at the center of a magical explosion like none Shadow had ever seen! What in the name of Fenrir's fangs was that?! And for that matter, how did Cyan survive?

"Yes."

"Sir Gau and Lady Relm?"

"Ask them yourself."

At that moment the two children barreled past Shadow and tumbled into the pit, nearly landing on top of the still stunned warrior in their haste.

"UWAOOOOOOO!"

"Cyan! You're okay!"

Cyan did his best to move into a sitting position before the two collided with him in a fierce embrace. Shadow couldn't help but chuckle. This must be what he look like each time Relm saw him go through a close call. The time it took for Cyan to assure the children, in particular Gau, that he was alright was enough for the rest of their companions to make their way over.

"What was that?" asked a limping Sabin. The little asshats had done a number on the back of his legs with their high speed collisions.

Cyan shook his head in response. "I know not. I believe t'was . . . mine shield. At the final moment a power, a great power, compeleth me to release it. _Ultima_." The very word crackled with power, even though Cyan had not put the necessary will behind it to manifest the spell. The implications of this new magic sent everyone reeling. Just how powerful was it? Could it be controlled? Would the shield function as magicite did?

Shadow's mind alone was devoid of these thoughts. The repressed voices had begun to speak again: his thinking, _knowing_, that death was near and he'd be approaching that terrifying unknown alone, the other reassuring him the opposite, calming him, keeping him sane.

Giving him hope.

_0 0 0_

_ Well, there you have it. Not sure it's my best work and the more I think about it the more I dislike it, particularly in comparison to some of my other chapters . . . oh well. If I obsess over it till it's perfect it will never be posted. Hope you enjoyed the strangeness. Off we go to Phoenix Cave! _

_ For all you people who are looking for a good FFVI story and some laughs, why not take a look at Antismurf Lord of Darkness's story, "Upon the Hijacking of Figaro". He's a fantastic comedy writer (much better than I am) who really needs some reviews of that story so he'll write more. I'm not just saying this because I desperately want him to finish it so I can see what happens . . . not at all . . . okay, maybe a little. _


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